Harry Potter and the Wish of Life
by Usako3000
Summary: AU. Harry makes a wish that changes the past, sending him into a world where James and Lily lived but Voldemort is all powerful. And, er, Snape is … Uncle Sevi? While war approaches, Harry shelters beneath the marauders' wings, growing into a stronger and more powerful hero than ever before.
1. Birthday Wish

**Important Author's Note (2013):**

HP and the Wish of Life began in 2002, and therefore is AU for every book after GOF. After idling in a half finished state (**17 chapters**) for many years, I look forward to** finally giving everyone the full tale**! I will be incorporating canon details in the later chapters.

For those who like to jump ahead, I would consider **Chapter 8** to be when the story begins to hit its stride. The first ten chapters are a fluffy, youthful set up, and the story gets darker as it progresses. Harry will not have a main pairing in this tale, his story is much bigger than just romance. He will have a few dalliances with a few girls, but that is it.

In re-reading the story, it amused me how many small details actually showed up in the books (Like Sirius' dark family past and him giving Harry his first broom etc). Therefore, when re-editing, I've kept the first ten chapters unchanged in terms of original plot lines.

**I appreciate reviews and anaylsis**, in fact, **I live on them** – so please do review and provide me with your thoughts and theories. It really does push me to continue writing.

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 1: Birthday Wish**

**By Usako3000**

* * *

**I**t was Harry's 15th birthday and all was quiet on Privet Drive, a normal evening to suit the normal folks of the neighborhood. Unfortunately for him, he was the one person on the street that was anything _but_ normal.

Lying uncomfortably on his bed, Harry vaguely listened to the bellowing voices of his uncle and aunt as they congratulated elephant-statured Dudley on finally getting his 15 year old brain around the concept of multiplication.

Though Harry carried with him a burden of forthcoming horror, the summer holidays had progressed as usual except that the Dursleys had been noticeably downcast. Their son, Dudley had been sent home with reports of being below his age level with recommendations of acquiring tuition over the summer.

"Below his age level, indeed!" Aunt Petunia had shrieked, her bony hands wringing together in fury.

"By God!" Uncle Vernon had ranted, face ballooning like a purple plum about to explode, "How dare they! Those simpering fools! Obviously they don't know talent when they see it!"

Nonetheless, Dudley had been subjected to at least an hour of math, literature and geography every day. It had been fun at first, for Harry to taunt Dudley, but the novelty of that had soon wore off. This summer, all the Dursleys had treated him with nothing short of fear and contempt. Normally, Harry would have preferred this to the slave labor and epic yelling he was usually subjected to, but things were different now. The past year at Hogwarts had been horrifying: Voldemort was back, Cedric had died because of him, and the world was simply **all wrong**. All Harry wanted was to be like all other children and seek comfort in his family when something went wrong.

But, yes, that was right, he had no family.

His parents, his beautiful Mother and wonderful Father had been killed by Voldemort. His godfather had been wrongfully convicted of aiding the murder and had to be in hiding. And Harry? Harry had to stay with his aunt and uncle who despised him.

Turning on his side, Harry sighed. It wasn't the first time he had fallen on the thought that if only he could have died with his parents he would have been much happier. No scar, no guilt, no life.

It was hard, having the weight of the world on his shoulders. Voldemort, who terrified legions of wizards was coming for Harry. Not to mention, Harry distinctly felt as if he was the only one capable of taking on Voldemort. Afterall, despite all of Dumbledore's strength, if they were a match then wouldn't Dumbledore have taken Voldemort down long ago? It was frightening to think about being the only line of defense available. He felt very young and very fragile.

Although he had wonderful friends in Ron and Hermione, they could always choose to walk away. Harry however was chained forever and always to the murderer of his parents. It would be nice to have a choice. Or at least, a family to be there when he was scared.

Instead he simply read the news reports of unexplained attacks or missing persons throughout wizarding London with a heavy heart and no one to turn to with his own fears.

Green eyes flicked to the clock beside him. It was almost midnight and almost his birthday. Letting one long arm dangle beside his bed, Harry pulled out a small box from beneath it. Sitting up, he withdrew a small cupcake. Hermione had had the foresight to send him a big batch of cupcakes two days prior to his birthday with a note informing him that since he wouldn't get a proper cake her baking attempt could be an appropriate substitute.

Harry glanced at his clock, resting on top the mounds of Dudley's broken toys. Five, Four, Three, Two, One – Midnight! At that moment a shooting star blasted by the window and Harry almost jumped up in shock. A star wish and a birthday wish? It was almost too good to be true. Closing his eyes tightly, he wished.

He wished desperately, the events of the year weighing heavy on his shoulders.

He wished miserably, feeling the lonliness and yawning future stretch out before him.

He wished hopefully, a child's heart still present in the body that had taken so much abuse in recent years.

_| I wish my parents hadn't made Peter Pettigrew their secret keeper and we would be a family. |  
_

He opened his eyes slowly, heart screaming for his wish to have come true, though he knew the reality before he even saw it. His bare room came back into focus, and Harry sighed, tossing the cupcake aside. Lying back down, his dark hair cushioned by his striped pillow, Harry felt burning tears slide out of his eyes and down his cheeks.

He cried for Cedric Diggory, the innocent boy who had not deserved to die. He cried for the world, which was soon to undergo horrors unknown. He cried for himself, an orphan who despite trying hard, still remained as alone as before.

* * *

**S**hrouded in the depth of space, entwined in the mists of time, three startlingly beautiful woman floated, unaffected by everything except themselves.

|_He made a wish. . ._| the one with the black hair noted softly.

|_Yes, Future. But, are you certain..._| The blonde whispered.

|_Oh Present, you know he's worthy. It should be up to me after all._| The redhead responded sharply, turning quickly to face her sisters.

|_Past is correct. Do you consent, Present?_| Future goaded.

Looking between her sisters, Present relented. |_Of course._|

Past smiled.

The three floated together to form a circle. Hands joining they smiled. |_Harry James Potter, heir to Godric Gryffindor, your wish has been granted._|

And with a flash of light, the Past was rewritten, the Present changed and the Future rerouted.

* * *

**S**mall streams of sunlight cast warm strips of comfort over Harry. Caught in the limbo between being awake and asleep, he was barely aware of the voice calling to him.

"Harry! Harry!"

Stirring, he grumbled to himself, unwilling to escape his land of dreams where his parents were alive and there were unlimited Bertie Botts' for all. Vaguely, Harry decided to let Aunt Petunia call his name until she went hoarse. He had no plans of getting up yet.

"Harry!" The voice grew closer, and Harry frowned, eyes still tightly shut. That didn't sound anything like Aunt Petunia - the voice wasn't _nearly_ as shrieky.

It was then a pair of soft lips descended on Harry's forehead. He jerked awake in shock, eyes flashing open to meet a mirror image of themselves.

Harry gaped. There, leaning over him was a extremely beautiful woman with glittering green eyes and a curtain of auburn hair cascading down her shoulders.

He knew who it was immediately, Lily Potter.

His _mother_.

**To be Continued. . .**

- Although you have many chapters ahead to read, I'd really **appreciate comments and reviews on earlier chapters** as you read through! I love being **interactive** with my readers and I hope you'll take the time to leave me a message! :)


	2. A New World

Welcome back! A long awaited reunion between parents and child lies ahead...

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter Two**

**A New World  
**

* * *

**U**naware of her son's astonishment, Lily leaned across Harry to pull open the curtains above his bed. The flood of light cascaded around her and for a moment Harry was dumbstruck, his entire body stiff in shock.

Certain he was hallucinating, the ecstasy of the moment was so sharp and so sweet the boy could barely believe it. His mother. "A…Angel?" He managed to speak, his tongue as thick and dry as sandpaper.

The beautiful redhead simply raised an eyebrow, looking at him with an amused expression. "Are you still dreaming, Harry? Wake up, love, we have lots to do." She reached down and patted his cheek, trying to cajole him awake, "Come on then, Harry-Bear! Your Birthday brunch awaits you! Up you get!"

As if she hadn't been dead the entirety of Harry's life, Lily Potter walked out of his bedroom with a smile, leaving only the faintest trace of her perfume in the air.

Harry stared.

Harry blinked.

Harry dry-heaved numerous times.

This couldn't be happening. He briefly stopped on the thought that perhaps he was experiencing a type of insane sleep paralysis? In which instead of a demon appearing, the most loving, most craved person of your entire life would materialize? This theory was quickly shot as he easily sat up, stretching his digits and staring in nothing short of shocked wonder at his surroundings.

He was not greeted by his dank, empty, poor excuse for a bedroom. Rather, he found himself in a spacious hexagonal room. The walls were dark maroon and decorated with various pictures and Quidditch memorabilia. A large snitch dangled above as a light fixture and a little train chugged constantly about the floor near the dresser.

Emerald eyes fell on one particular Quidditch poster and Harry immediately jolted out of his bed, stumbling over his sheets in his hurry to get close to it. The players in the poster zoomed around in close formation but as Harry neared, one player broke away from the rest and moved up close, saluting the boy playfully.

Touching the poster with numb fingers, Harry felt his chin begin to tremble.

_Dad. _

James Potter grinned at him from behind the lamination and did a few fancy loops and turns in the air before rumpling his hair. He looked older than the pictures Harry had seen of him; but still very young, roguish and handsome.

Harry turned away from the poster, his face pale. Emerald eyes traveled the length of his bedroom before coming to stop on a white snowy owl beside his bed, "Hedwig!"

Hedwig hooted softly in way of a greeting and blinked at Harry expectantly.

Rushing over, Harry dropped to his knees in front of her perch. "Oh my God, Hedwig! How did this happen! Mum and Dad…they're …. This room...that poster!"

Hedwig crooked her head to aside and hooted in a questioning manner.

"I mean. . .Mum died when I was a baby! Remember? And. . .and. . ."

Harry frowned as he saw his owl stare at him as if he belonged in an insane asylum, "It's a long story, girl ..." Fat tears welled up in his eyes, "This isn't a dream, is it?"

More than a little confused, Hedwig quickly decided on the most appropriate response and dipped her head forward, slamming her beak into her owner's arm.

"OW! Bloody hell, Hedwig!" Harry howled, yanking his bleeding arm away from her, "Why'd you go and do that!"

Realization hit him quickly. He had been physically hurt. It wasn't a dream! THIS WAS _REAL_.

Harry gave a loud whoop of excitement. The tears that had welled in his eyes vanished as he danced around the room. Arm bleeding and with a tear stained face, Harry Potter collapsed on his bed, the happiest boy alive.

A moment later, he shot back onto his feet, laughing hysterically while Hedwig slowly inched to the side of her perch furthest from the boy.

"I can't believe this! My wish came true!" Grinning, Harry caught a glimpse of his reflection in a mirror across from his bed. Eyes darkened to a deep forest green before he slowly slid his hand over his forehead, pushing away the thick black strands of hair.

Crudely scratched across his forehead was the symbol he had received the night his parents had died to protect him.

A small lightening-shaped scar.

Harry stared transfixed at the mark he had grown to know so well, his upper lip curling in confusion. If his mother was truly alive, then Voldemort must never have attacked them forcing her to give her life for Harry. If that was the case, Harry shouldn't by any means, have his scar.

An eerie feeling settled in his stomach before a call came from outside.

"Harry! Downstairs, young man!"

Startled at hearing his mother's voice, Harry stepped back from the mirror. He glanced at his owl (who by now was convinced her owner had gone completely off his rocker) and let out a big breath. Turning on his heel, he left the bedroom and entered a fairly lengthy corridor. Spying a staircase, Harry made his way toward it, descending it two steps at a time. Stepping out into what seemed an expansive lower floor, he looked around. To his right, he saw his mother.

The boy's breath caught in his throat as he looked once more upon the woman he had missed dearly for 14 long years. Lily was perfect. No longer a baby faced youth as she had been in the pictures he had seen, she was a stunning woman. Long red hair whispered down her back and emerald eyes, as demanding as his own, flashed curiously at him. She wore a striped dress that reached just above the knee with no wizard robes in sight. Feeling a rush of love, Harry smiled at his mother.

"Oh no, don't you give me that smile!" She scolded, "You're not going to charm your way out of this. I bet you didn't even shower yet! You've just been lazing around since I woke you up!"

Alarmed that he had angered her, Harry frantically tried to formulate an apology. "No! Mum …I just … I didn't …" He couldn't seem to muddle through the words, his tongue felt altogether too fat for his mouth.

Lily raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at his muttering, "Alright, fine, I'm just teasing. How could I get angry with my boy on his birthday, hmm?" She smiled at him and with the fluidity of a panther, reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace.

A little surprised, Harry relaxed into his mother's arms. A mother's hug ... he could never remember having one before. It felt ... like he was coming home after a long time. It was all Harry could do to stop himself from crying and clutching to her like a five-year-old on his first day of Nursery.

Releasing Harry, Lily looked at her son, "All right then, I'll let you take a quick peek at your pressies, but then you have to go up and shower ... And ..." She grinned, "_then_ you can have your Birthday Brunch!"

Briefly, Harry wondered exactly what the elusive, "Birthday Brunch" was, but pushed those thoughts aside as he was steered into the expansive kitchen by his mother.

Seated at the table sat a clean shaven, coffee sipping, James Potter.

"Hi Dad ..." Harry managed to choke out, his mind spinning so fast he was getting a headache.

James tilted his paper down so he could look at his son, "Harry! How's the Birthday Boy, 'eh?"

Harry had always known that he was a miniature version of his father, but the similarity was startling. The same messy mop of black hair graced their heads, the same cheeky grin that Harry had was splashed across James's face, the same glitter of mischief in their eyes ... it was like looking into a mirror.

"Harry, are you feeling alright?" Lily asked, frowning, "You look as if you've seen a ghost!"

"_Did_ you see a ghost, Harry?" James pressed, "I told you Lily, I swear I think one has taken up here! I bet it's Mrs. Mucklebee, she always hated babysitting me and when I heard she died last month I just knew she'd try and haunt me, didn't I tell you? That old bat! Did she have a really warty nose, Harry?"

Perhaps one would think that after spending the last five years of his life being hit by one surprise after the other, Harry Potter would be no stranger to life altering situations.

Yes, that was true.

However, waking in a house with his dead parents alive and breathing beside him was more than just life altering. It felt like a complete rebirth.

A little too stunned at hearing his parents converse, Harry didn't answer. "Harry?" James repeated again, staring expectantly at his son.

Attempting to pull himself together, Harry nodded, glancing quickly around the room, "Oh ... Uh, no I didn't see a ghost ..."

Lily frowned, "Oh darling, don't tell me! You're not still worried about your father's nonsense over that Hogwarts letter we received yesterday, are you? He was just being a bully-"

Harry blinked. A letter from Hogwarts? Was something wrong?

James' disposition darkened, "A bully? I think not! Obviously I should have been harder on the boy - I mean, really, Harry, I'd have expected more of you."

Unsure of what his misdeed had been, and significantly upset at knowing that he had displeased his father, Harry nodded docilely, "Sorry, Sir."

His father shook his head gravely, "I know, Son. But really, I still can't get over it. A prefect? Merlin, where did I go wrong with you!"

Harry burst into laughter, emerald eyes brightening, "Dad!" Then solemnly, "I'll try harder."

James nodded and continued on gruffly as he smiled into his coffee, "See that you do."

It was then that Harry's gaze fell to the pile of brightly wrapped gifts in the center of the long table. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the sheer number. Boxes and bags of all sizes lay piled on top of each other, the light reflecting off the mounds of curled ribbon that topped them.

"Is that…?" He squeaked. There was no way those gifts were for _him?!_

"Don't you even think about it, Harry! You have to wait to open them at the party tonight." Lily quickly ruled.

Mouth still open, Harry blinked, caught up in the thought of how Dudley would react to this many presents.

James grinned, thumping the table, "That reminds me! Now," He leaned forward in a conspirative manner, "I have plans to release a stink bomb sometime around 9P.M. I'll expect your help of course, Pronglet!"

The marauder in James had obviously never died much to Harry's pleasure. He could barely imagine the amount of trouble that James and Sirius would be getting into. "Sure thing, Dad."

Rolling her eyes at her husband's behaviour, Lily rounded on Harry, "Okay, deal's done. Harry-bear, shower! Now!"

The boy-who-lived smiled and nodded, his heart feeling so full that he was sure it would burst out of his chest, "Yes, Mum."

He started toward the staircase, his grin so wide it threatened to crack his face. He was part of his family.

His family.

It was too fantastic to even conceive. For once he'd have a Birthday! Hugs from a mother! Advice from a father!

Reaching the doorway of his room, Harry stilled immediately. Leaning over Hedwig's cage, was a young boy, probably around his age. Messy red hair faced Harry as the boy poked playfully at Hedwig who looked altogether annoyed.

Harry grinned, Ron! Even better!

"Hey. . ." He began in greeting.

The boy whirled around, obviously caught in some sort of forbidden act and Harry's mouth dropped. The stranger was certainly not Ron and from the scowl on his face was certainly _not_ a friend.

"Who the _hell _are you?"

**TO BE CONTINUED ... **

Who the hell_ is_ he? Is this new world permanent? And what's this elusive "Birthday Brunch" about?

Although you have many chapters ahead you to read, I would love to hear from readers as they read through earlier chapters! I adore having interactive dialogue with those who enjoy the story, so please:

**Take the time to review! :)**


	3. O, Brother

One popular theory is that this new world is all Voldemort's doing ...? We'll see ...

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life.**

**Chapter Three **

**O, Brother**

* * *

**T**he red-haired boy looked taken back at the question, "What?"

Harry, thinking the intruder to be a little slow, rephrased his question angrily, "Why are you here?"

The boy relaxed noticeably, "Look. It's okay ... I'm not ..."

He was interrupted by Harry's mother's voice floating into the room, "Harry-bear! Shower!"

Hearing his mother's voice again struck Harry mute and unconsciously he turned to face the doorway, smiling. The boy pushed him aside roughly, "Exactly, _Harry-bear._ Do run along now." He smirked in a very Malfoyish manner.

Infuriated, Harry stepped forward, reaching one hand out to clamp onto the boy's shoulder. There was no way in _hell_ he was going to allow the fellow to wander around his house. He had just been reunited with his family, and no one would stand in their way.

The redhead turned to face Harry, sly eyes boring into him, "Y'know, I thought at first you said, 'Who the hell are you?' and I mean, you must be pretty daft to not know your own brother! Old age is getting to you, Harry!" The intruder laughed and disappeared down the hallway.

Harry stood shocked. His _brother?_

* * *

Far away in the flatlands of southern England, Lucius Malfoy found himself at his Master's feet. His proud back arched in a symbol of submission as he bent to kiss Voldemort's robes. His own velvet black robes, so expensive and thoughtfully crafted pooled about his knees on the floor as he awaited the decree to speak.

Eyeing his follower with nothing but distaste, the Dark Lord kicked him away before speaking. "Go ahead and be quick about it. I have places to be, Lucius. People to kill." He smiled at his own joke, amused at his own great wit.

"Yes, Master. Of course. You are most graceful my Lord to -"

"Enough! Be done with it already!" Voldemort's howl echoed through the dank expanse of his throne room.

Trembling, a thing not usually done by Lucius Malfoy, he nodded, careful to keep his ice blue eyes on the floor. "Sire. My. . .My division has successfully completed their mission. The one has been 'displaced'".

Voldemort stroked the small garter snake that slithered around in his hand. He kept the little creatures for amusement not companionship, afterall, when it came time to feed them to his much larger snakes they always cried out for help in such a hilarious way. "I see. I still believe it would have been more proficient to simply kill him."

Lucius stiffened, "Yes, Sire. However…. as you know, he has a lot of power and knowledge. If we play our cards right we may be able to tap into that to help us."

"I know _that_, you simpering idiot! I was merely thinking out loud!" Voldemort bellowed, and as an after thought added, "_Crucio_!"

In an instant the howls and wails of Malfoy consumed the silence in the room. Voldemort smiled. Who was he kidding? He had all the time in the world. The killing could come later. Right now, _this_ was quality entertainment.

* * *

**I**n a daze, Harry had fumbled his way through finding a bathroom (There was one attached to his room), taking a shower, and getting dressed. Using some stiff cream he found in his dresser he attempted to style his hair as he had seen his father's, but ended up having to wash his hair again after creating only stiff oily peaks in it.

He had a _brother_ ...

It felt so strange to mull over those words, but yet, oddly familiar all at once. He had never even considered what it would have been like to have a sibling, yet it made sense that had his parents lived he may have had one. Entering the kitchen, he found his parents and brother chatting happily around the kitchen table. A flood of ugly jealousy choked him as he looked at his sibling. He had wanted to have his parents, not a little brat to share everything with!

The selfish thoughts consumed him for a moment before he was once again enveloped in his mother's arms."Oh, Harry, I can't believe you're fifteen today!" Lily lamented, ruffling her son's hair, "What happened to that little baby of mine?"

His brother rolled his eyes, a gesture that infinitely infuriated Harry. Obviously, the boy didn't understand how important family was, having never had to grow up without them. The lucky bastard.

"Grief, he's old." James laughed, "But not too old for presents, I hope! Your mother thinks you should keep all the gifts for your party tonight, but I strongly disagree-"

Lily frowned at her husband, "James, people are coming to see Harry's face when he opens their gifts, it's not fair to open them before."

"Why not just open ours, then?" The redheaded boy piped up.

Harry shot the boy a disgusted look for interrupting his time with his parents. Surprised, the boy retreated into himself.

Not noticing the exchange, Lily nodded, "Good idea, Ethan-tree. Harry, you can open the ones from us if you'd like."

Harry shrugged agreeably, "Okay, Mum."

James put down his copy of The Daily Prophet and clapped his hands. With a quick jolt of light the pile of presents vanished and only two remained, each the size of a large book.

Harry grinned and gleefully reached for the one labeled, "Dad and Mum." Sitting down on the chair closest to him, he took great care in not ripping the wrapping paper. He actually had a present from his PARENTS. The novelty of this moment created great reverence in him. Once the shiny silver and red paper was off, he was left with a white box. He looked up and found his parents grinning at him encouragingly.

He lifted the top of the box and. . .

_POP!_

Gone was the box and in its place; an absolutely magnificent broomstick. His Firebolt would be nothing more than a bent twig in comparison to this model. It was sleek and long, each fiber of its hair a shimmering gold which were pressed tightly together in a bunch. The stick was made of a smooth mahogany colored wood but was very light weight. Engraved in its handle was a glittering title of: Sunfire.

Harry's eyes were wide as he stared at the piece of wizarding art and after carefully laying the broom down, attacked his parents in a hug. "Amazing! Mum! Dad! It's great! I love it!"

His parents smiled and hugged him back.

James smacked Harry on the back, "You'll put up a good show on that beauty, eh son?"

Harry nodded like an idiot, "Yeah!"

After a few moments of gushing over the broomstick, the newly titled Ethan entered the conversation. In a soft voice he prodded, "Are you going to open my gift, Harry?"

Harry turned and looked at the other present reluctantly. "Oh. Yeah."

He reached for it, and not at all careful about the wrapping, ripped it open. Underneath the checkered paper was a leather, strap bound book. His name was engraved on the cover and flipping through it, Harry was greeted with pictures of himself, Ron and Hermione grinning and waving at the camera. There were letters and articles and other such memories along the way.

Harry looked up to see Ethan watching him uncomfortably. "You know, I ... after last year, with everything that happened, I thought you might like to have...a reminder of the good things that happened. Hermione helped out a lot with it ... I dunno ..."

For the first time, Harry looked carefully at his brother and was startled at the resemblance. The boy looked close to his age and besides some mild coloring differences, they were very obviously brothers. Ethan was a little shorter, and his eyes seemed a mix between green and brown, flecks of emerald giving him a catlike stare. He had red, auburn hair like their mother but the slightly darker skin tone that James and Harry shared. His chin was a little longer than Harry's and his teeth were certainly more shiny, but that was where the differences ended. Yet it wasn't their looks that made Harry connect with his brother, instead it was the look reflected in his eyes, a look that Harry understood all too well. The want to be accepted.

Softening, Harry smiled. "Thanks, Ethan. I really appreciate it." He thanked, wondering what his brother meant by 'everything that happened'.

Ethan grinned.

"Well, get ready boys! Birthday Brunch will be here very soon!" Lily announced mysteriously before disappearing into the adjoining room, dragging James with her.

Ethan squirmed for a moment, awkward when alone with his brother, "Sorry about being in your room and all. I just wanted to see if you were awake. Are you very cross?"

Harry scrutinized his brother carefully though lidded eyes, "It's fine, don't worry. I was just startled."

"Yeah. Well, wake up, it's Mum's favorite son's birthday, it's gonna be a doozy!"

Surprised, Harry glanced at Ethan and saw no malice in his expression though he had heard the truth in his statement. He was the favorite son? Though that should have made him feel bad for Ethan, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit smug.

Lily and James entered the room once more, and brandishing her wand like a sword, Lily pointed at the table. Instantly, plates of food blossomed from thin air. Harry's eyes widened. It couldn't be ...

Chocolate Chip Apple Crisp Waffles ... His _all time _favorite food!

….Although he had never eaten them before.

"Mum! Wow!"

Lily beamed.

Harry piled six waffles on his plate to accompany the eggs and bacon his mother had also prepared. He dug right in, fork treated like a special tool with an even more special cargo.

His first meal cooked by his mother!

The others all also began to eat the ever anticipated Birthday Brunch and after a good twenty minutes of chewing, murmurs and delectable tastes, the family of four were full.

"Delightful, Lil!" James complimented.

Lily blushed at her husband, who returned the loving gaze measure by measure. Then turning to the guest of honor, Lily smiled. "What do you think, Harry?"

"Mmhdnauihoguof?" was Harry's dignified reply as he swallowed a lump of waffle.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "My brother, the hog."

Harry shot a dark look at his brother who stuck out his tongue in reply. "Excellent, Mum!"

Lily shot her son a bright look and stood, "I'm glad. Now, James, Ethan, we've got to go pick up some last minute things for the party. Harry, you'll be all right, won't you?"

Harry nodded.

Ethan pouted.

"Mu-um! Why can't I stay? I always have to do all the slave labor around here-"

James let his fork clatter onto his plate, "You whinge on almost as much as Harry did on your last birthday! You're going. Harry, remember don't answer the door unless you hear the knock, okay?"

"Sure-" Harry began, unsure of why there was a special knock and not wanting to ask what it was in order to not bring attention to his inexperience in this world.

His mother swept down and kissed him on the cheek. "We'll be back soon."

Ethan gave Harry a look of long-suffering before following their Father and Mother.

Remaining seated, Harry banished his doubts and questions for the time being. As some house elves entered the room to clear the plates and his parents vanished via the fireplace in the living room, Harry couldn't help but think how lucky he was to finally have a _normal_ family.

* * *

**H**arry spent his time exploring the Potter ... estate. His earlier suspicions had been correct. It was a huge mansion. Harry had even got lost in it a few times and had had to be led out by a particularly excited house elf, Pippy. The downstairs was home to a maze of rooms ranging from the beautifully furnished dining room and kitchen, all decked in pale blues, to the cooking area where the house elves spent most of their time. In addition there was a large hallway, a study, two lounges, a library, a TV room (much to his surprise, though the 'TV' was an odd floating scroll) and an area which was very much like an indoor pool, except the walls were invisible (Harry found this out the hard way).

Creeping through the library, Harry happened onto an epiphany. The first words that Hermione had ever said to him had included the fact that both he and his scar were mentioned in some Wizarding books. If that was so, then they should be included even now if the scar was truly from Voldemort!

Harry desperately tried to recall the list of books Hermione had rattled on about. Wizard conventions ... Wizard events ... Wondrous Wizarding ... _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_! He flew toward the first bookshelf of various novels and texts.

_Chaser: The Talent _(C? No, too far back).  
_Frunglumps_ (Harry didn't even want to know).  
_Goddesses' and Dragons _(Huh?)  
_Great Wizarding Events of the Nineteenth Century _(Getting closer).  
_Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_ (Eureka!)

Harry's hands grasped the spine firmly and he began to slide the book out of the shelf when a loud knock on the front door alerted his attention. Startled, he dropped the book and turned. The knocks came in a set of two, a pause and then three. It seemed close enough to a pattern that Harry decided to answer it. Leaving the library to enter the hall, Harry made his way to the door. Opening it, his mouth dropped.

In loose fitting black robes, stood Cedric Diggory.

"Hey Harry!" Cedric chirped, flashing him a smile that would melt any woman's heart. Then, seeing the look of confusion on the other boy's face, added, "You okay?"

Trying desperately to close his jaw, Harry nodded weakly unable to rip his eyes off Cedric's moving, smiling, **_living_**, face.

"Great!" Cedric said, "Can I come in?"

Harry moved out of the way to let him through. Once done, he closed the door and turned back to face Cedric. The boy who hadn't deserved to die - but had, because of him. Trying to push the swirling guilt away, Harry swallowed hard. Cedric looked around the hallway before turning back to Harry. "So Happy Birthday, eh? Sorry, but my mom and I can't come tonight." He held out a small box wrapped in red paper, "Just wanted to drop off your gift! Sorry for such a short visit, but I'm sure you're busy as is."

He made for the door, oblivious to the surprise on Harry's face. Once again in the doorway he turned and smiled, but this time Harry caught a look of sadness flickering in the former school champion's eyes. "You know, last year your birthday party was smashing. I really wish we could come, but we just haven't been feeling up to... - y'know - after the De. . ." He took a shaky breath, "... Dad died."

Harry felt his heart freeze. Amos Diggory was dead? Sure the fellow was pompous, stupid, arrogant, and downright irritating - but he was a good sort!

"Oh. No, I understand. I ... I'm really sorry ... Cedric." Somehow, Harry had found his voice, speaking words he wished to speak in both worlds.

Cedric gave him a weak smile, the former chipperness about him gone like a forgotten autumn wind. "I know. Thanks for being such a friend through it all, Harry. I know you know what it feels like. Next year will be better for us all, I hope. I'd best be going."

Cedric turned and left. Harry slowly slid the door shut behind him. Amos Diggory was dead? But how? Funny ... it was almost like Cedric had started to say "Deatheater" but stopped.

No ... it must have been a mistake ... right?

And...had Cedric said something about knowing what it would feel like? Harry was too puzzled to figure all of this out.

After shaking off the house-elf, Pippy, who had cornered him and tried to force-feed him a few leftover waffles, Harry made his way back into the Library and settled down in a large armchair to read.

Letting his finger trail down the table of contents, Harry stopped at:

You-Know-Who. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pgs 783 – 898

Frowning at the amount of reading matter he would have to sift through, Harry flipped to page 783. There, he was met by a smirking painting of Tom Riddle, still in his youth. Harry shuddered in remembrance of their meeting in the Chamber of Secrets and scowled darkly at the photo.

Bastard.

Scanning the page, Harry found nothing that interested him. He grabbed a fistful of pages and flipped them over. His search was unsuccessful until he came to page 843, where he glimpsed the name Potter. Eyes widening he began to read:

_During the early 1980s, You-Know-Who was at the peak of his power. He was so feared by wizards and witches alike that he was usually only referred to as "He-who-must-not-be-named" or "You-know-who," among other titles. His self given name was Lord V-o-l-d-e-m-o-r-t (spaces required by publishing standards). _

_The fear around his name was mainly due to a curse placed during 1982 that allowed You-Know-Who to tell whenever his name was said in nonwarded areas. This resulted in many witches and wizards being captured, killed or intimidated during April to June 1982. Professor Filius Flitwick of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy was responsible for creating the appropriate wards that neutralized You-Know-Who's curse from working, yet the fear of his name continued to grow. _

_After 1982 Summer, You-Know-Who became aggressive in his collection of followers, whether through mutual agreement of by use of the Imperius Curse. Those who resisted were often killed. This brought about the ritual of the 'Dark Mark' being magicked above the victim's body (Ref. Dark Mark – p.785). Some of the brightest wizards of the time were killed. An example would be the well-known Trixie Gomez, a prominent member of the Ministry of Magic as well as the inventor of useful Magik -Wheelie (Ref. Inventions of the 20th Century p. 180). _

_At this time, You-Know-Who created enemies in Albus Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix (Ref: Order of the Phoenix p. 1029). The Order was a group shrouded in secrecy but has been known to fight for the light. The members of the groups are an elite crowd of strong witches and wizards given special training through Dumbledore himself. It was speculated that the now-famous Chaser James Potter and his wife Lily were members of the institution. With rich pureblood lineage, yet thumbing his nose at dark wizard, James was endlessly pursued by You-Know-Who. It was rumored that a prophecy made by one Professor Sybil Trelawney of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy forced the Potter family into hiding by means of the Fidelius protection spell. Through this they were able to elude You-know-who's pursuit. Their baby son however, did not. _

Harry's eyes widened as he frantically tried to turn the page. Cutting his finger, he cursed and shoved it into his mouth, sucking on the slit skin as he used his free hand to flip to the following page:

_Harry James Potter (See: The Boy who Lived) was a year and three months old when he became one of the innocent victims of the dark ones. James Potter, a newly graduated Auror at the time and his wife were heavily involved in the battle against You-Know-Who. They would often leave their son in the protection of a close friend when they were needed. During one routine excursion, the Potters arrived back to find that their friend's house had been attacked. The Cruciatus curse was said to have been performed on the caretaker, rendering him helpless as You-Know-Who turned onto the child. The killing curse was cast but rebounded onto he-who-shall-not-be-named, weakening him and he fled. Harry James Potter, a toddler, is the only person to have survived a properly cast killing curse. He was wounded badly but upon being submitted to Gardendolf's Hospital was healed of all ailments. He is referred to as The-Boy-Who-Lived, and is loved by Wizards across the globe for temporarily defeating Voldemort, allowing a few years of peace and serving as a beacon of light to an already devastated society. His only memory of his close call with evil is a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. _

Rather startled, Harry looked up from the book, his left hand gently pressing against his scar. How had he managed to repel the killing curse all on his own? His mother had not been there to save him …

Thousands of questions swirled in his already confused mind. Harry reread one of the last sentences. 'Temporarily defeating Voldemort'. Temporarily? Was he still around? He thought of how Cedric had seemed to begin to say 'deatheaters'. A few years of peace … what did that mean? Stirrings of uneasiness began to upset his stomach. He was about to continue reading when he heard the voices of his family. Jumping up, he tucked the book beneath his arm and left the Library.

Entering the hall, Harry was greeting by a loud "BOO!" from his brother.

"Ethan!" Harry growled, laughing.

James smiled at the two brothers before clearing his throat to gain their attention. "Harry, your Mum and I have to start setting up for the party tonight, alright? You guys are free for the rest of the day, do whatever," Then added, "And try to get in trouble!"

Lily rolled her eyes before pushing her husband out of the room, gently scolding him for corrupting their children.

Ethan grinned at Harry before pointing at the book he held. "Why do you have that?"

"Oh, just wanted to remind myself to do homework and stuff."

Ethan gave him a look of disbelief, but let the subject drop, "Want to try out your new Sunfire?"

He didn't have to ask twice. The two found their respective brooms and made their way outside. Harry's misgivings quickly vanished in the excitement. The day was a comfortable temperature and outside in their expansive garden, Harry found himself wanting to explore all the nooks and crannies. There was a small hill behind which looked like a secret pathway.

With a sense of reverence, Harry mounted his new broomstick and was instantly up in the air. The Sunfire was perfectly pliable to his commands. It obeyed his every touch, signal and idea. He barely had to think in order to have it move. The Sunfire cut through the air flawlessly, and it's capacity for speed was phenomenal. Ethan, on his own Firebolt watched his elder brother enviously, before remarking. "Merlin, Mum and Dad better get me one for my fourteenth next month!"

Harry immediately stopped his loop-a-loops. Fourteenth? That would have had to mean that Ethan would have been alive before Voldemort had attacked? In an instant, Harry zoomed over to face his brother. He decided on a subtle approach: "You're not Fourteen!" He grunted, frowning.

Ethan colored, "Yes I am! Look, I don't care that you think that potion didn't count but the Healers approved it okay - so shove off! It's MY FOURTEENTH."

Trying to act nonchalant, Harry prodded, "Okay, okay, I give. Tell the story again, though," He gave his brother a grin, "I like hearing it."

Ethan did a quick lap around the garden on his broom before smiling, obviously pleased at being asked to regale his elder brother. "Ha ha, okay, fine. Well, you'd just gone to Hogwarts and you'd send me these terrible letters making fun that I couldn't go to Hogwarts for two whole years - so I decided to take things into my own hands. It was super easy, I looked up some stuff in potions books and Sirius and Remus bought me all the things I needed because I pretended the ingredients were for other things - ha ha - they were so easy to fool. Anyway, I made it and the expression on your face when you came back for hols was super! Although, Mum and Dad were so pissed - I don't think I ever got whacked so hard - and Mum shot off like a banshee! I mean, I didn't really know it would be permanent! I shouldn't have been in so much trouble!"

It was obviously a story that Ethan felt strongly about as he narrated the unfairness of it all. Harry grinned and shook his head, he had no idea where his brother would have gotten such a nose for trouble!

Acting like he had been bored with the story (As he assumed he would be if he had heard it years before), Harry made a quick dive down to the ground before circling upward. The mention of Sirius and Remus also had him excited. He hoped he would get a chance to see them at the party.

"Harry! Ethan! Time to get ready!"

The boys glanced at each other before landing and re-entering the house where James awaited them, "Okay, go get ready, guests should be arriving soon. . ." Then, quietly, in case Lily should overhear, "After twenty guests have arrived, meet me in the Kitchen when I cough three times - Remus is bringing the stinkbomb." Sniggering in a way reminiscent to Harry's own laughter, James left the two.

Parting ways, each boy left to their own bedroom. Harry was content. Ethan had been a surprise, but a nice one at that. It was surprisingly easy to spend time with him, a familiar routine to it all that had him wondering over why it had felt so odd earlier in the day.

In his room, Harry moved around quickly. Laid on his bed was a nice button-down shirt and khakis. Muggle clothing that actually fit him! It really was a big day of firsts for him.

Pulling them on, Harry grinned at himself in the mirror. Spying his wand on a cushion near his dresser, Harry was gratified to see that it was the same wand he remembered. Pulling his hand through his hair, Harry ignored the hair cream this time.

Grinning at Hedwig (Who was still staring at him strangely), Harry left to go downstairs. He had barely stepped out into the hall before finding himself wrapped a big bear hug. A little surprised, Harry pulled away and was greeted with the grinning face of Remus Lupin.

Lupin looked years different from what Harry remembered. He looked much healthier, only very mild scars beneath the surface of skin that was younger and brighter. His brown hair was thicker and darker and he bared only a weak resemblance to the shabby, somewhat homeless looking man that Harry had first met on the train.

"Oh, too old to give Uncle Remus a hug, are we?" Lupin boomed, catching Harry's stiff posture.

Uncle Remus? Harry sighed mentally.

"Uh, no, not that."

"Sure, Sure." Lupin grinned, his golden eyes twinkling.

Their conversation paused when they heard the entrance of another party goer. Harry began to speak when:

"There's the Birthday Boy!" A familiar voice gruffly greeted, and Harry felt an arm circle his neck, pulling him to the person's side in a hug. He turned, smiling, to face the greeter.

Harry's smile promptly faded.

_SNAPE?!_

**TO BE CONTINUED ...**

**Sevi's in da hiz-ouse! **What do you think is up with our favourite Slytherin? Any ideas on the Weasleys? And what all these stirrings of darkness to amount to?

Please **remember to review**, it takes two seconds bur **means the world** to me!

Thanks for reading!


	4. Harry's Birthday

**Author's Notes** (2010):

What a journey it is to reread this story. The first four chapters are fairly wholly untouched other than in terms of grammar, but after this chapter, some trimming and minor twists will be added in.

The one change to this story so far is I changed my original name of Lupin's wife (A French woman named Serena) to Tonks, simply because I do like the pairing. I also edited in the name of Snape's place of living: Spinner's End.

In 2002 a petty author of a story called Sixteen Candles attempted a flame war on this story, accusing me unjustly of plagiarism of a story wholly unlike my own and one that I had never read. She made numerous accounts just to do that to harrass me. My readers were wonderful throughout the trial, supportive, defensive and good until she crawled back into the hole she came from. It was that support and love that gave me the strength to keep writing. I will forever be grateful.

* * *

** Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

** Chapter 4**

** Harry's Birthday**

* * *

**H**arry screamed.

More specifically, he choked on his scream as he stared at the professor whose official title was Harry Hater #2. Number one was Voldemort of course, but that standing _was_ often disputed.

Snape and Lupin looked at the boy worriedly as he turned an odd shade of green. Lupin turned to Snape and nodded knowingly, "Harry's too old for hugs now."

"Ah." Snape sneered at Harry, calming him somewhat. Sneering Snape? This he could handle. A hugging Snape? _That_ was the frightening unknown.

Ethan bundled into the room in a flash of eager energy. "Uncle Remus! Uncle Sevi!" He greeted cheerfully.

Uncle _Sevi_?

Harry gagged.

Snape, alarmed that Harry was choking, bashed him on the back. "Alright, Harry?"

"Yeah. . ." Harry managed to cough out, trying to get his mind off the fact that his spine was probably broken.

Ethan grabbed Lupin by the arm, "Come on Uncle Remus! Dad needs to..._talk_ to you." Looking around suspiciously, Ethan slowly ushered Lupin out of the room.

Harry did his best to suppress the urge to run after them and beg them not to leave him alone with Snape. Turning cautiously, Harry smiled weakly at the man. He took in the same cold eyes, drawn face, crooked nose and ... no ... his hair was ... _not_ in the least bit greasy! Blinking, Harry took a better look. While Snape didn't look quite as different as Remus did, he was well-kept and smartly dressed. There was no malice in his face and he seemed quite a bit more robust.

"Wow!" Harry blurted out in surprise.

"Wow, what?"

"Uh. . . Wow. . .big present!" He covered up, spying the green present in the professor's arms.

Snape rolled his eyes and pressed the gift into Harry's hands, "Indeed, greedy brat! Happy birthday!"

Harry took the gift and managed another weak smile. Snape reached out his hand and ruffled the boy's hair while Harry tried his best not to cringe. "I know this last year was rough on you, Harry. You deserve a great day. Remember, everyone's always here for you - including your old Uncle Sevi."

Surprised at the sudden sentiment from Snape, Harry nodded carefully. Snape turned to walk away before turning back, his eyes narrowing, "But that doesn't mean you can slack off in Potions, got it?"

Laughing despite himself, Harry nodded, "Got it."

Snape swept out of the room, leaving Harry on his own. Once sure that the Potions Master was no longer nearby, Harry's face screwed up in a silent scream of surprise. This world was absolutely crazy! _Uncle Sevi?_ Harry made the solemn promise to let himself be eaten by a Basilisk before calling Snape that. Wait…was that a bit hasty?…nope ... **yes**, a Basilisk was _definitely_ the lesser of two evils.

"Potter!"

Harry turned and his face lit up as he saw a trio of red haired wizards approach. "Ron! Fred! George! Wow, Great!"

Ron shot him a cheeky smile, "Damn straight, great! I haven't seen you forever! Have you changed much?"

Harry grinned, "You have no idea, Ron!"

"He's grown!" George cooed, pinching Harry's cheeks hard, "How time has flown, our ickle Harrykins!"

Fred leaned forward, swatting George away from the boy, "Enough with the small talk. I hear rumor your Dad's putting off a stinkbomb. We were thinking that maybe he'd like to buy our Stronger Smell Salts, the newest invention from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"

"You're still on about that?" Harry questioned, glad that somethings would never change.

George nodded viciously, "Of course, we've already started up the plans for our building location. The only hitch is that Mum is still on us about focusing on getting our N.E.W.T's, but really, we never listen to her anyway, now do we?" The twins shared a look and rolled their eyes at each other at the very thought of _actually_ studying.

Lily appeared, pale blue wizard robes draped over her slim shoulders. Still unused to seeing her, Harry found himself stunned in awe once more. It was so incredible to see his mother in person, alive and well. His heart squeezed painfully. "Are you talking about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? You know if you need any help that James and I are always here."

Fred grinned, "Thanks Mrs. Potter. You know, you _could_ talk to our Mum about possible funding..."

Lily laughed, "Boys, I would, but even _I'm_ afraid of the scolding that would get me!" She held up her hands in defeat before laughing as she left toward the living room.

George turned back to Harry, "You are so lucky to have a Mum like that!"

As the boys turned to leave the hall in a search to find something to eat, Harry smiled to himself. "I know."

* * *

**F**ar away, in an abandoned shed, a young man tried desperately to stand. It was an impossible task, his body still shaking from the after effects of numerous Cruciatus curses the day before. Still, the man tried valiantly yet continually failed. Exhausted, his last coherent thought before collapsing against the wooden floor was:

_It isn't. . . . .what it seems. . ._

And outside, it began to rain.

* * *

**A**t precisely 6:14PM a stinkbomb exploded in the living room, successfully disgusting all the early 23 guests in attendance. Harry watched in amusement as the gleeful cackling of his father was cut off by a stern glare from his mother. Snape was particularly irritated, possibly because the bomb had coincidentally erupted above his head. The smell had quickly been removed from the house and James, Lupin and Ethan sharply reprimanded by Lily (Harry had been excluded because it was his birthday - and was instead punished by having no intervention by his mother when that wretched house-elf Pippy insisted on giving Harry a birthday kiss on the cheek.).

Nonetheless, the party continued as what seemed to be the whole Wizarding community flooded through the doors of the Potter's Manor.

Hermione hid a grin as Harry tried to wipe off the Pippy-slobber from his cheek, "It's sweet Harry, I mean she must really love you!"

Harry rolled his eyes, Hermione had not changed at all from this world to the last, "Oh, get off it, Hermione - don't go all S.P.E.W on me!" Immediately he slapped himself mentally for mentioning something from the other world. It was careless.

Fortunately, Ron nodded, "S.P.E.W! I almost forgot all about that! How many members do you have, now? One, still?" He began to guffaw loudly as Hermione huffed and crossed her arms about her chest.

Still doubled over, Ron then looked up past Harry's shoulders. "Took you awhile to get here! Where the hell have you been?"

Harry turned, ready to greet whomever Ron had greeted so friendly. He expected Seamus or Dean but certainly not...

"_Malfoy_?"

Draco Malfoy shot a blonde eyebrow up at the welcome, "Yes, thank you greatly for the warm greeting." He drawled.

Ron grinned, "Don't worry, he's just all wound up 'cause he got snogged by a house elf!"

"What?"

With that both Ron and Draco burst into loud laughter, and even Hermione began to giggle. Through this, Harry stood facing his archenemy who for some reason was at his birthday party. Laughing with his friends. Well of course, if _Snape_ was here, why not _Malfoy_? In_ fact,_ they should invite Voldemort and Quirrell to top it all off!

Laughter dying, Draco straightened, "Harry, what wrong with you? Your face looks really uncomfortable right now."

Harry shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, "What? No. Nothing. Huh?"

Giving him a strange look, Draco turned back to Ron. "Anyway...So, er, have you...have you maybe seen..."

"Parvati?" Hermione finished, smiling, "She's in the Parlor. Try to keep the snogging to a minimum, okay?"

Harry did his best not to scream.

Draco shrugged, a shade of pink colouring his cheeks, "No, no, I meant. . .here!" He shoved a red present into Harry's hands, "There you go, this should help you beat the shit out of Slytherin next year!"

"You want Slytherin to lose?" Harry asked, his mind currently in shut down trauma mode.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever. After how I was treated after everything? I have no loyalty for those buggers anymore."

"Oh." Was all Harry could manage, questions bubbling in his chest. Suddenly he felt as if he needed to talk to someone - tell them what he was feeling.

"What's wrong Harry?" Ron asked.

The frustration and confusion was paramount. He was this close to blurting out everything: he wasn't supposed to be here, his parents were dead, why the _hell_ was Draco all chummy chummy with his trio? - When his mother appeared next to them and ushered Harry into the hallway. "Time to open your presents, Harry-Bear!"

Harry tuned out the sniggers of Draco and Ron at his pet name and smiled adoringly at his mother. "Alright, Mum." The center table in the hallway had all the gifts piled on top of it and their guests slowly filled the entrance-way, chatting happily and keeping an eye toward Harry who stood somewhat stunned in front of the mountain of treats.

Lily took a look at the gift still in his hands, "Well, why not start with Draco's, then?"

Harry managed a small smile at Draco before unwrapping the gift to reveal a "Weather Wonderful Clip" as Ethan had chirped upon its appearance. Catching the confused look on Harry's face, Draco quickly explained that it was a device (completely legal) to place on your broomstick. It helped neutralize the winds caused by gusting weather conditions such as rain or snowstorms.

The generosity of the gift had Harry feeling an inkling of immediate liking for Draco. "Thanks, Draco."

Draco shrugged uncomfortably, "What are friends for?"

Harry smiled inwardly at the irony of Draco's statement before being pushed down into a chair by his mother. One by one, she handed him a gift from every member of the party. There were so many, Harry's fingers became numb from opening them all. He made it a point to remember to give some away - afterall, he was no Dudley. Nonetheless, he could not squelch his boyish delight at the unraveling of each gift, each special in its own way.

Harry ended up unwrapping tons of chocolates, candies, books and little gadgets from various people. There were many and Harry did his best to keep track of the ones which counted. Snape's gift ended up to be a Potions Set (I'll expect an A+!) and not a ticking bomb as Harry had secretly thought. Ron and Hermione had combined forces and bought him an Wizard Photograph developing set ("I know it's your fave gift, Harry!", "Ron!") while Hagrid (Who Harry was overjoyed to see) had handed him a moving box with holes, that Lily had confiscated to be opened when less people could be maimed (Yeh'll love this one, 'Arry!"). The Weasleys' had bought him a Quidditch ball set and many items from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes ("Fred! George! I told you not to put those in there!"). Dumbledore and McGonagall (Harry didn't dare ask why they'd purchase the gift together) had given him state of the art Spoofy's Speed Sneakers, which allowed their wearer to a much speedier pace. Paired with Lupin's gift of a pet sprite ("Her name is Moonbeam!") and all the other gifts, Harry had most certainly cleaned up well.

He graciously thanked each and every person, but there were so many he was barely able to tell who was there and who wasn't. Luckily he wasn't made to say any names and so simply stuck to smiling and nodding.

Once the gifts were done, his mother had hugged him and vanished into the depths of the crowd. Draco and Hermione approached him as Ron began to dig into a large Bertie Botts' jar.

"Good loot!" Draco congratulated, "I especially like the happy face tightie-whities from your Aunt Laola."

Harry flushed at the remembrance of *that* particular gift. He wasn't quite sure who this "Aunt Laola" was, but he sure didn't like her too much.

"Shove it."

"Bleah!" Ron exclaimed, spitting out an rancid yellow-green bean into his hand. Looking up, his freckled face displayed an expression of inner pain, "You _don't_ want to know!"

Hermione grinned, "Well, serves you right for eating Harry's pressie!"

"Oh but please," Parvati Patil giggled as she strolled up to the four, looking as beautiful as ever in tight red dress robes, "I do so want to know!"

"Think along the lines of something that could come out of a dog." Ron answered dryly, dry heaving to his side.

Harry grinned, but not before noticing the way Parvati and Draco looked at each other shyly.

"Hey." Draco greeted, looking a far cry from the cold, sneering git Harry was used to.

"Hey." Parvati giggled back as she nervously played with her ring.

Hermione rolled her eyes and made a small gagging motion at Harry.

Harry smiled. Friendship was amazing. Even if Draco Malfoy and what would become endless Happy Face Tightie-Whitie jokes were a part of that.

* * *

**T**he rest of Harry's party went by extremely quickly. Though it lasted until the early hours of the morning, it was all too short for his liking. The dinner, compliments of the house elves was fantastic, with roast chicken, savory curries, bangers, mounds of corn and piles of potatoes. Not even to make mention of the majestic looking meringues for dessert. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Parvati had stuck together the entire night, and even managed to sneak out some wine from the kitchen.

Harry was barely aware of who was and wasn't at the party, but found out two pieces of startlingly information. The first was that Lupin had a wife named Tonks whose hair was multicolored, and though seemed oddly familiar, somewhat frightened Harry a little with her loud personality. The second? Harry really liked wine.

Later in the evening the kids and adults separated and went into different areas of the house. The kids spent their time talking and dancing before someone brought up the idea of spin the bottle. Inhibition gone, Harry got to kiss Parvati, Hermione and a blonde witch named Mandy Brocklehurst. He called it quits when that house elf, Pippy, entered the room lest she somehow try to join the game. Ron was the lucky one of the lot, he managed to steal kisses from five girls but still looked down, especially as Neville got to kiss Hermione.

By about 3:00AM the mansion was slowly emptying. Ron and the Weasleys had left, as had Hermione who had grudgingly informed them of her curfew being midnight when it applied to wizarding things (Even earlier if it didn't!). Finally, only Draco and Harry were left out of their improvised group of five.

"Good party Harry." He congratulated. "Even if you _did_ kiss my girlfriend."

"Thanks. . .Draco." Harry managed, sharing the tipsy evening had made him much relaxed toward the blonde. "I appreciate that you didn't throw cake at me like you did when Anthony Goldstein got to kiss her."

Draco and Harry shared a laugh at the memory when Lupin and Tonks walked up to them. "Hello Boys." Remus greeted when suddenly a voice came from Harry's side, Snape had appeared beside him.

"Did you enjoy your birthday, Harry?" He asked.

"I did, Sir." Harry held in the gasp that had been ready to burst from his mouth.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Good to hear! We should be heading home now, however." Remus patted Harry on the head, "Come Draco, are you ready?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah. Uncle Sev, I picked up my stuff from Spinner's End today, is that okay? I thought I'd stop by next weekend?"

"That should be fine." Snape smiled and the group headed toward the fireplace.

"Bye Harry!" Draco waved as he, Remus and Tonks vanished into the flames.

"Bye Draco-"

"Good night, Harry!" Snape turned, robes dark against the backdrop of green flames.

"Bye..." Harry lowered his voice in case anyone else should hear, "Uncle Severus."

Alone in the living room, Harry shook his head in wonder. He had no idea why Draco seemed to be living with Remus and visiting Snape, but he was too tired, too tipsy and too damn happy to care.

* * *

**H**e waited until everyone had left before leaving to go upstairs. Slipping into his room he shut his eyes as he sagged against his bed. What a wonderful day. No, scratch that, what a wonderful life! Hearing his parents voices, he stood once more and left his room. Walking to the left of the hallway he came to his parents bedroom, and peeking in, saw the same floating scroll from the TV room levitating above their bed.

"James, please just turn it off!"

"No, Lil, we have to know what's going on."

"James. It's Harry's birthday, we decided we wouldn't think about these things."

"Lily," James' voice was stern, "It's my job and this is the world we live in."

Harry was surprised to hear his father's voice strain as if to keep from yelling. He felt his heart tense, hoping his parents were not going to fight.

"You promised me one day of nothing, James! What can you possibly learn? Voldemort still all powerful, Voldemort killed two witches today, Voldemort's forces encroaching in Scotland ... Voldemort, Voldemort, that BASTARD Voldemort!" Lily began to cry and James immediately enveloped her in a hug. Meanwhile, outside, Harry's mind was no longer on the state of his parent's marriage. Voldemort all powerful? Suddenly everything seemed to collapse on top of him. Confusion and worry grasped at Harry's heart and squeezed brutally. It couldn't be ... he was here as well? What had that book said? 'Temporarily' ... meaning that from that fateful Halloween day, countless other people were dead who should never have been.

Dead.

Because of his wish, because of him.

Again!

He needed to tell someone. He couldn't keep everything inside. But who?

The answer came easily to Harry. Of course! The one person he could _always_ trust. Had he been at the party? Immediately, he burst into his parents room.

James and Lily looked up. "Harry? Are you alright?" James asked gently.

Harry breathed in, "Actually Dad, I was wondering if I could send an owl to Sirius?"

There was a pregnant pause as Lily and James glanced at each other and then back at Harry.

"Well?" Harry prodded impatiently.

Lily moved away from her husband's embrace. She folded her hands together nervously and Harry couldn't help but think in this moment she looked like a fragile, sad ghost.

"Honey, you know. . ." She blinked, approaching Harry as if he was something easy to scare. Immediately, something akin to hysteria began to bubble in Harry's chest. "You know," Lily started again with a deep breath, "that Sirius is dead."

That was the last thing Harry heard before everything went black.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

Sirius **dead**? What's up with **Dumbledore and McGonagall**? Why is Draco living with Remus? **Where is Percy, Bill and Charlie**? Who the hell were those three girls in the first chapter? And what on **Earth** is wrong with that house elf Pippy?

**Thanks for Reading, please help motivate me by leaving a review! :)**


	5. The Wish of Life

Welcome back and enjoy!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter Five**

**The Wish of Life**

* * *

**D**eep in a sea of unconsciousness, it felt as if Harry had been there for years when suddenly an awareness of sounds and voices around him tunneled straight through the darkness and hit him in his core. With great difficulty his mind began to piece together the events that had led up to his current vulnerable state. He had made his way into a reality where his parents were alive but Sirius had died.

Harry's heart sagged at the knowledge as he struggled to move, to hear, to re-enter the world of the living.

Through the fog he heard a voice that made his blood run cold.

It belonged to Aunt Petunia.

As much as he had been horrified by what the new world had brought, he certainly hadn't wanted to go back, had he? Had it been a dream? It had seemed so real? How cruel could the sandman be? Miserably, Harry opened one emerald eye and then the other, the eyelashes sticking together as if they hadn't been opened in a many a day.

There, leaning over him, was horse-faced, high voiced, Petunia Dursley.

Harry's mouth went dry.

Petunia looked down at her nephew in surprise, her pasty skin hollowed by shadows before pushing back away from him. "HE'S AWAKE!" She shrieked, "LILY HE'S AWAKE!"

Harry's heart hadn't even a moment to lift before Lily and Ethan Potter burst into the bedroom. Relief had his head spinning as his mother threw herself on him, hugging him tightly. "Harry! Oh, Harry!"

Still not fully understanding, Harry found it difficult to swallow, his eyesight blurrier than usual. "Mum…" He croaked.

His brother scrambled around his dresser and returned, pushing Harry's glasses at him. Harry took them gratefully but was too busy having his face kneaded by his mother to put them back on. "Harry, you were gone for so long…we thought…."

"Lily, Lily, let him breathe." Petunia whispered, gently pulling Lily back from the bed.

Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Harry slid on his glasses and looked at his family. He was startled with how helpless his mother looked. She had lost weight and the sparkle her eyes had held in both life and pictures seemed to be gone.

"You're awake." She said, "You're awake." Lily repeated it over and over, almost to convince herself of the truth of the statement.

"I'm okay Mum." Harry comforted, voice hoarse and painful to listen to.

Aunt Petunia handed him a glass of water before looking at her shaking sister. "Lily, why don't we just go downstairs for a moment? Harry is okay but I think you need to take a moment to sit down."

"But-"

"Mum, we don't want to overwhelm him." Ethan said wisely and Lily nodded, heeding her son. Giving Harry an encouraging smile she allowed Petunia to steer her outside.

Blinking, Harry turned his eyes onto his brother, heart leaping at the familiar mop of dark auburn hair. "Hey little brother." He rolled the words about his mouth, happy he got to speak them after his earlier fright. "Why is Mum so upset?" Harry's tongue felt thick and rough in his mouth.

Ethan looked at him incredulously, "Harry, it's August 25th today. You were out for almost a month."

"What?!"

Ethan nodded, "Yeah, it's been awful. How do you feel?"

"Pretty gross." Harry admitted, "Why is she here?"

"Aunt Petunia?" Ethan blinked, "She's been here for a few weeks actually. She finally got up and divorced Vernon."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Ethan rolled his eyes, "Mum told her about you being in a coma and she came to help Mum out. She told us that Vernon used to, you know-" he shifted uncomfortably, "beat her."

The revelation was a shock and Harry's eyes widened. "What?"

". . .and then Mum convinced her to leave him, so she did!"

"Wow." Harry brought a hand to his forehead, "I'd never have guessed!" But ... that was a half truth, for Harry could have easily guessed. Vernon was a domineering, angry person. With Harry around he found an outlet for his rage in shouting at and suppressing his nephew. Without Harry, then it made only sense that he would turn onto Petunia herself. Despite this, Harry could not find pity nor love for the Aunt who had treated him so cruelly in the other life.

Ethan shifted on the edge of Harry's bed. "So, er … this was all brought on by Papa Padfoot –"

The nickname stirred a familiarity in Harry, yet the warmth of that mattered not as he recalled his last conscious moments. "Ethan …" He voiced, stricken, "It's just…he can't be dead."

"Harry," Ethan began kindly, "You know … you know he was captured by Voldemort and killed."

Harry's heart froze, the large lump in his throat bursting into what felt like freezing air, "When?"

Ethan looked close to tears, "In January. Do you really not remember, Harry?"

It felt as if his brain was screaming and dully, Harry turned from his brother. "Go away, Ethan."

"Huh? But –"

Angering, Harry took his helplessness out on his brother, "Just get lost! Leave me alone!"

Hurt, Ethan scrambled off the bed and shouted, "Fine! You know, it's not always about you, Harry! Such a fragile boy – you're the only one allowed to grieve for him, is it?"

He slammed the door to Harry's room so fiercely that Hedwig gave a loud hoot of shock.

Harry turned toward his upset owl. "Hedwig. I need help."

She began to cluck patronizingly before Harry stopped her, "No. I seriously do. And Sirius was always the one to give it." Bitter sobs filled his throat and in this spiraling moment, Harry felt more alone than ever.

* * *

**T**hat day, after the Healer had come to check him over, both Lily and James attempted to spend time with their Harry but found him to be unresponsive and sullen. Ethan on the other hand never came back once.

Dully, Harry spent the day messing around with some of his birthday gifts. He had opened a large box of chocolate frogs that served as his nourishment for the day. He also skimmed through various novels he had received. The titles ranged from "How to Conjure a Patronus" (Harry figured he hadn't learned to do that in this world) to, "So I'm a Wizard? A tale of one boy's journey into Wizardhood.". After hours of useless entertainment, which had done nothing to alleviate the dull ache in his heart, Harry came across one large book he had been given by someone who hadn't been at the party but had only signed her name: Aunt Arulbella.

**Four Houses : The Power of the Heirs**

Curiousity piqued, Harry flipped through the brief introduction until he came to the 500 page chapter on Gryffindor. Here, he found a list of the heirs of Gryffindor. The family tree was large and branched and as soon as he touched the page the tree spread out into the air with shimmering lines dangling all about him.

Intrigued, Harry touched the different names and branches as some dwindled into nothing and other continued on. He finally came to one name which was very familiar.

"Dumbledore?"

Mildly surprised, Harry figured it must explain why Dumbledore was a match to the heir of Slytherin. From Dumbledore's name was a line that gave rise to Violet Dumbledore who married…Jacob Potter. Harry's eyes widened as their names came to a point: Alfred Potter, father of James Potter. Beneath James shimmered Harry and Ethan's names.

"What?" He breathed, unable to believe his eyes. Not only did this mean he was a heir to Gryffindor but Dumbledore was his Great-Great-Grandfather! No wonder he had taken such a liking to him! Immediately, that thought was accompanied only by hurt at the realization that his ancestor had left him to live with the Dursleys instead of keeping him. The taste of betrayal was bitter and Harry fought hard to push it away before continuing to read the tome.

Most of the information was rather boring, until ...

**Power of Wishes **

_It was said that although vastly different the one trait the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy held in common was that they were extremely powerful. All four were known to be able to tap into sacred fountains of magic. _

_There are two hypotheses on the connection between the ancient magic of wishes and the heirs. The first is simply that the founders had discovered the mechanisms behind the magic of wishes and imbedded it inherently into their bloodlines. The second is that during the War of Altas the heirs were involved in helping some beings unspoken and had their families blessed in some way. Either way the end result is a known ability of heirs to create a successful wish._

_Three types of wishes are known: The Wish of Power, The Wish of Love and The Wish of Life. In broad terms, the first grants their wisher strength and power beyond what they would normally be capable of. The second allows for the protection or creation of love in whatever source the wisher chooser. The third allows their wisher some power over life and death. It has been definitely known to strengthen someone who is dying and has been rumored to being able to bring back someone from the dead. Each wish is extremely dangerous as it can make large alterations in time and space and it is therefore good that only direct heirs of the four houses can tap into such magic. _

_The only known wishes are ones that famously ended with disastrous results. These are described in more detail in each founder's chapter but a few examples are as follows: Geoffrey Kindrey, a direct descendant of Helga Hufflepuff, wished for "Diana" to love him. He was foolishly unspecific and was forever responsible for all the Dianas of the time to leave their families in a frantic pursuit of him. Geoffrey was forced to hide for the rest of his life (After marrying Susanna Leaflet, who didn't seem to mind the hoards of stalkers they had acquired). Most disastrously, the speculated Wish of Power made by the Dark Wizard Voldemort, last known heir to Slytherin has allowed him to unleash great horrors upon the Wizarding World in the 20__th__ century. _

_It is well documented that each heir is blessed with only one wish per lifetime. Some may never wish, others cannot achieve it and the rest grasp at the chance. Personal accounts indicate that the wish is only granted in the most intense of circumstances, when the person truly feels it with their whole being. Due to this apparent boundary, the number of wishes made is not known. Further it is not clear if the wishers are even aware if their wish has been granted or not in simple cases. _

_Knowing the strength and uncontrollable nature of wishes, who knows how many things have been gained from them and what horrible things befell their users and society as a whole? _

Harry closed his eyes. So, it was his fault. The wish he had made, perhaps it had been a Wish of Life? His parents were alive but countless others dead. It was all his fault. Most painful of all was realising Sirius' death was solely on his shoulders.

Hearing voices, Harry quickly slammed the book shut and slid it beneath his bed. Heart racing he picked up a jar of Ice Cream Chews and stared at the door morbidly, waiting for someone to come in.

No one did.

Outside, the voices became clearer. His parents were arguing.

"No! He's not well yet!" Lily exclaimed.

"Lily, don't be ridiculous! What are we going to do? Leave him here alone? In case you forgot, we're teaching at Hogwarts this year!"

"I'll resign!"

"You'll do no such thing! Harry's a big boy, do you think he'll want to stay at home to dwell on everything?! Not to mention that Hogwarts is the safest place for all of us right now!"

"James, he's been through such an ordeal, I really just can't bare to have him-"

James gave a growl, "Well you need to bare it! He is stronger than you think. Do you want him to be held back a year? Never go back? With Voldemort the way he is do you think there will EVER be a better time for him to go back? You're being fuc-"

"Dad!" Harry flew toward the door, flinging it open. "Stop!" His heart was racing in his chest having to suffer through his parents fighting.

James stepped back, glancing at Harry before sending his wife an apologetic look. Lily's eyes were filled with tears as she stood, still in the throes of wanting to argue.

"I want to go to Hogwarts." Harry managed, "I don't want you to fight. Can you just LEAVE IT?!" He slammed the door shut, his cheeks hot.

Outside he heard his mother sigh, "Well, we made that worse." Harry pressed his ear against the door to hear.

"I know. Hell, I'm sorry Lil. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. It's just been such a terrible…" His father choked. "A terrible …"

"James." There was a delicate silence which led Harry to think that his parents might've been sharing a kiss. "I'm sorry too, I know I've been acting off since …." Harry couldn't make out what they were saying as they walked away from his room. "I'm just scared for the boys and Harry is already so hurt…"

"….You know that …. I would never let anything happen to him …. it's for the best …. must be stronger for him …. this year will be a lot better."

Would it? Harry thought darkly. Sirius was the first to go, but he had a feeling that it was just the beginning.

* * *

**T**he next few days flew by as the Potters readied themselves for the upcoming school year. James and Lily treated Harry as if he was some sort of fragile being, while Ethan wouldn't speak to him at all.

The four traveled to Diagon Alley a few days after Harry woke up to purchase school supplies and new robes. Unfortunately, due to the dark cloud of guilt hanging over his head, the novelty of his first family outing was lost on Harry.

Ethan bought a new owl as his previous one had flown the coop for a female it had met in the owlery at school. The new owl, Woodson, was brown with an extremely full plume. Ever the proud owner, Ethan had beamed at the rest of the family before scowling when Harry had smiled back.

The night before school started Harry was aimlessly flitting around his room making sure everything he needed was packed into his two trunks. He had packed as many photos and albums of his family as possible, having spent the last few days pouring over what he could find in the house.

The door creaked open behind him and Ethan entered in. Harry blinked at him in surprise while the boy looked about with lidded eyes before finally making eye contact with Harry. "Look, I … I don't want you to not like me, Harry. And … I suppose I shouldn't have gotten so angry right after you were so ill and…"

Eager to make up, Harry shook his head. "Hey! Listen, it's okay. I was wrong too. I just…" Uncomfortable with this apology thing, he rummaged in his trunk and pulled out the messily wrapped Weather Wonderful Clip and new dragonhide gloves he had bought his brother. "I…I realised I probably messed up your birthday too, by being all comatose, so …." Harry rubbed the back of his head, "I probably such at this big brother thing."

Obviously touched, Ethan took the gift and smiled, "Yeah you do. It's okay, I'm pretty used to second child syndrome by now. I'll reap it in later when I live off your fame when we're old."

Harry laughed, "Alright, deal."

With the animosity in the air vanishing, Ethan dropped down on Harry's bed and began to chatter away: "So anyway, Uncle Sevi-"

Harry cringed.

"Came by during my birthday and gave me a new Potions set too. He said that Potions is going to get a lot harder this year, but not to worry since I have you all to help me out – Oh and Poppa-"

_Poppa?_

"-said that once we get there we should all go to his office. The new password is Cracked Corn, by the way-"

Ah. Professor Dumbledore. Their Great-Great-Grandfather. Harry briefly wondered what the hell was in the water his family drank to have come up with all these undignified nicknames for one another.

Harry began to fold some robes as he listened to his brother. After awhile, when the conversation paused, Harry turned to the redhead. "Ethan, I really miss Sirius."

Ethan blinked, "I know, Harry. I do too."

Feeling rather like the younger of the two, Harry slumped against the bed, "Why did he have to die?" His voice choked.

Ethan sighed, his own eyes growing misty, "I don't know Harry. I suppose that what was meant to happen."

But it _wasn't _meant to happen, Harry thought, it _wasn't,_ and it's my fault that it did.

* * *

**S**eptember 1st dawned with a crisp wind hanging about the air. The Potter family found themselves amidst hoards of muggles as they struggled to make their way to Platform 9 and 3/4.

"Ethan! Did you have to say goodbye to every freakin' room in the house!" James scolded as they bowled over an old woman in their rush.

"What!" Ethan began innocently, "You guys are teaching this year! You know how lonely all the mirrors get!"

Harry rolled his eyes, grinning.

Finally they reached their destination. Lily pushed the two boys forward. "Okay, you first! Quickly, now!"

Ethan and Harry glanced at eachother and took off in a dead run, their trolleys rattling. Within a moment their scenery changed, and the smoking Hogwarts Express stood majestically in front of them. Harry took in the familiar bustle with a smile before frowning. Amongst the families were tens of very stern looking wizards wearing glinting, golden badges on top of their gray robes. Deciding not to ask questions as no one else seemed particularly concerned, Harry turned back to see his Father and Mother enter through the barrier.

Hurriedly, Lily pulled a silver prefect badge from her pocket before attaching it to Harry's shirt. Kissing him on the cheek she smiled, "There you go, darling. You can go up front and sit with the prefects if you'd like."

Lily then turned to Ethan and kissed him as well, fixing the color of his blue shirt. "Alright sweetheart, give Ginny a big kiss from me, okay?"

Ethan flushed red. "Mum!"

Harry grinned, Ginny and Ethan? Too good! So many blackmail schemes came to mind.

James nodded, "Alright boys, have a nice ride. We'll see you later at Hogwarts." He saluted them before they vanished into the crowds, taking all the bags with them. The two brothers made their way onto the train where they soon bumped into Ron and Hermione.

"Hey guys!" Hermione greeted cheerfully, hugging Harry happily, "Harry, I'm so glad you're well again! And with such a great year ahead of us: Prefects! I mean, it's such a honor! And how lucky that we get to all do it together after the sixth years were caught in that cheating scandal! Don't worry, I've already worked out a study and prefect task schedule that I'm sure you both will find useful. The only problem is I've been finding it difficult to work in time for dinner but I'm certain we can just eat on the go."

Ron and Harry shared glances as Ethan nodded politely.

"Hermione!" Lavender breezed by, catching the girl by the arm, "You have to come see Su Li's new cat, it's sooooo cute!"

As Hermione was pulled away, Harry turned to Ron. "You'd never think we two would make prefect, huh?"

Ron smirked, "They have no idea what they've done!"

The three walked down the aisle and Ron rummaged in his pocket pulling out a shining pocket watch, "Before I forget – you know last year when my watch broke you lent me this one? I was thinking though since Sirius had given it to you I thought maybe you might want it back-"

Harry took the silver timepiece into his hands and held it tenderly. As he looked into Ron earnest face, he came to a conclusion. He couldn't hold everything in any longer and if there was only one person to tell about this whole thing - it would be Ron.

"Thanks. Ron," he lowered his voice as they opened the door to the empty compartment, "There's something I have to tell you, actually."

Ron looked at his best friend curiously, "Okay. Serious much?"

They entered the compartment and then Harry turned back to his brother before the boy could enter in with them, "Um, Ethan, I kind of need to talk to Ron privately."

Ethan frowned, hurt, "Whatever."

"No, it's not like that . . .you're still my favourite brother!"

Ethan rolled his eyes, "I'm your only brother, you arse!" Nonetheless, he grinned and walked away.

Harry made sure to close the door before sitting across from his best friend. Taking a deep breath he figured the blunt method would be easiest.

"This isn't the way things are supposed to be." He blurted out, the look on Ron's face as confused as Harry felt inside.

* * *

**G**iving Ron the brief details of the situation and his former life took up the first hour of the train journey. Ron remained silent throughout, only letting out a large breath at the end.

Harry froze, praying that the boy would believe him and not report him to the authorities for insanity.

"How," Ron began slowly, "the HELL do these things always happen to you, Harry?"

"I don't know!" Harry exclaimed, laughing as the tension dissipated quickly.

"So what do you want to do? I mean, what can you do? You don't want to put things back do you?"

Harry's heart felt lighter as Ron postulated on a plan of action. It calmed him to know that if anything, he had his best friend. "No! I mean … I don't think I can … It's just been so stressful for me, everything is different and I'm scared to get found out. Maybe you could help me fit in more? Learn details?"

Ron looked mildly reluctant, "Okay….details? What do you mean?"

"Like," Harry thought for a moment before settling on something easy, "So Hermione's an only child?"

"Yep."

"And what's going on with Bill? Charlie?"

"Bill's working with the Ministry and Charlie's working with Dragons."

Harry grinned, "Hey! Exactly the same as the other world! Err ... we don't happen to be pals with any other Slytherins, hmm? Crabbe? Goyle? Pansy Parkinson?"

A shadow crossed Ron's face,, "Err ... No ... actually ... Pansy's dead ... She ... Okay, you know, I'm not really good at explaining history…there's been this Deatheater youth program that started up when we were in third year. Pansy's parents pulled her from school to publically ally with the Deatheaters, but then last year they decided to defect. Harry, it's like, they were awful, known killers but once they could only go so far they decided to come back? And … then they were killed for it."

It was a surprise to hear of this, to think that the prissy Slytherin girl was killed at so young an age after committing such terrible crimes. "Whoa." A sudden thought struck him, "Hang on, what about your family? Is everyone accounted for? Your Dad, Mum?

Ron nodded, fidgeting.

"...And Percy?"

Ron sighed deeply, "He was the one who killed Pansy."

Harry frowned, unable to comprehend, "Oh, damn. He must feel awful, but it's not his fault, she was a known deatheater and ... "

"No, Harry." Ron cut him off, "Percy killed her because she defected. _Percy_'s a deatheater."

**TO BE CONTINUED ….**

**Percy a deatheater**? Dumbledore a Great Grandpa? **Sirius. Dead?**

Although there are many chapters ahead for you to read, I love to hear from readers as they go through the story! Thank you to those reading this story and especially to those who take the time to leave a review, I promise to always respond to you.


	6. Hogwarts Again

**Author's Notes** (2002) - About the author who had thought to flame this story: For all of you who've been by my side sending me lovely emails and reviews, thank you, you're what keep me going:) And that's the last I'll say about this whole ordeal.

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter Six  
**

**Hogwarts, Again  
**

* * *

**I**t felt like a trickle of ice down Harry's spine. Percy Weasley, the smart, nerdy, rule abiding brother was a _death eater_? "What?!"

It was then, at the most inopportune time, the carriage door burst open. Draco and Parvati toppled inside entangled with one another, in the middle of a passionate snog.

Realising there were people in the room, Parvati's eyes flew open and she struggled to pull her away from the blonde. "Draco! Harry and Ron are here!"

"Damn," Draco complained sheepishly, turning to face them, "Way to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, fellows."

Harry rolled his eyes at the irony. He tried to quell the frustration of having his conversation interrupted.

Parvati looked flushed with embarrassment as she tried to tuck her messy hair behind her ears. "Can we join you?"

Ron shrugged goodnaturedly, his face oddly blank, "As long as you don't end up making little Malfoys in front of us-"

Parvati coloured, "Ron!"

Draco glowered slightly at the boy, "Don't be an arse, Ron – pureblood girls are better than that-"

Pulling Parvati down onto a seat beside him, Draco glanced over at Harry, "So, uh, you doing okay?"

There was a moment of tension as each member of the carriage looked awkwardly at one another.

Harry sighed. He really wasn't looking forward to having to discuss his comatose state all day, especially when he had much more pressing matters to get to the bottom of. Playing it off, Harry shrugged, "Yeah, I'm good - you?"

If he was surprised at Harry's dismissal of the subject, Draco didn't show it, "Oh yeah, fine."

Then, taking the cue to change the subject, Parvati chimed in, "So, did you guys see when Patrick Metcalfe - you know, the sixth year - got pantsed right in front of Madame Hooch as they were boarding? She tried to yell at the girl who did it, but she got so worked up she fell on top of him!"

The three boys burst into laughter at the image Parvati had created and lapsed into light conversation.

Yet, as he looked at Ron's drawn face, the weight inside Harry's heart grew heavier still.

* * *

_So, he's regretting his wish!_ The blonde noted, wringing her hands together.

_Nonsense, he's just a little afraid_. Future amended, letting her fingers slide through her lengths of raven hair.

_It'll be alright soon. He'll make his final decision_. The brunette agreed.

_And if he chooses wrong?_ The blonde asked the loaded question.

_A great many good souls will be lost._ Future whispered. _Needlessly._

* * *

**A**s the train journey continued, Hermione inevitably joined their crew and after fifteen packs of Bertie Botts' and countless boxes of chocolate frogs, the five friends were full and content.

It was almost evening when the the train screeched to a halt, the carriages trembling beneath the sudden strain.

Harry froze. The last time something like this had happened he had had the displeasure of meeting a dementor. Immediately, his hand went for his wand.

The others however, did not seemed fazed. Yawning, Draco commented, "I was wondering when they'd do the Guardian check."

Harry looked at Ron confused.

Catching the look, Draco frowned, "Why so scared, Harry? Are you a deatheater in disguise? Though, if you were, I'm surprised you didn't pick a more attractive disguise."

The others laughed and Harry rolled his eyes to go along with the joke. The deatheaters were so bad that they had to do routine checks? The familiar guilt began to pound inside of him.

At that moment, Ethan peeked in, Ginny right behind him.

"Beds first? I think dinner will be on soon."

Nodding, the others stood and placed their hands on the wall next to their seats. Harry imitated Ron's actions and within a moment, their seats were gone and were replaced by a variety of small beds.

"Neville is not sleeping in here this time." Parvati said firmly, "His snoring last year kept me up all night!"

"What about Ron and his nightmares?" Ethan teased, face light. "Those spiders never give him a break!"

As Ron elbowed his brother, Harry felt a little sick. The others seemed to take all of this in stride. How bad was the world when security lock downs didn't affect you?

* * *

**T**he Hogwarts Express ended up at a standstill for the entire night. The train was filled with the golden badged wizards Harry had seen at the station. He soon found out they were "The Guardians", another government force like the aurors, but trained in defense instead of the offensive tactics which were auror specialties.

A hurried conversation with Ron while the others were walking ahead toward the dining area had taught Harry that Hogwarts was now protected by additional magics allowing only people who were invited to enter. Arriving on the Hogwarts express was an implied invitation, and so, to prevent any dark wizards from gaining entrance, the train would go into lock down for a night while the Guardians did security checks.

After dinner, while the others were visiting the neighboring carriages, Harry had decided it would be the perfect time to speak to Ron about the bombshell he had dropped earlier. In the enclosed space of Harry's canopied bed, Ron looked paler than usual as he awaited the onslaught of questions.

"So," Harry said softly, his face glowing eerily in the light that was cast from Ron's wand. "Percy's a deatheater?"

Ron looked upward as if trying to keep from crying. "You wanna know the whole thing?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah. . .I mean, if it's okay with you?"

Ron shrugged, "Yeah, I'm okay. . . ." But one look at his face could tell anyone otherwise. Nonetheless, he continued, "So, it happened last year. You know Percy was headboy in his last year, right?"

Harry nodded his affirmative.

"So Percy went to work for Barty Crouch - do you?"

Harry nodded again.

"Right then. Well, a month into his work, Percy became really hostile at home and everything. All of a sudden he went from cauldron bottoms to talk of becoming more powerful in the Ministry. He'd argue with Dad about his Muggle laws and everything. I mean, Percy used to be a good guy, always standing up for the little guy. But he had changed so much, I don't even know how it happened. Then he started to badmouth muggles and everything, it was insane. One day I went into his room because I thought maybe he would have seen my Chudley Cannon's Hat around - the one you gave me, actually." Ron took a breath, "Percy found me and freaked out at me for going into his room. We started arguing and he shoved me and when he did…..well his sleeve fell and I , y'know, saw it. He looked at me like he could have _killed_ me, Harry. I panicked and hid in my room. I didn't know what to do – he was my _brother_! The next day, I came down and Mum and Dad were in the kitchen. I told them I needed to talk to them, right? But then I realised Mum was all blotchy from crying and well…they knew already. Percy had left a letter." Ron shoved a small, worn piece of parchment into Harry's hands.

"You have it with you?" He asked in surprise.

Ron gave Harry a weak smile, "I keep it to remind me. I know he is wrong Harry, but I miss and hate him all in one."

Harry gave Ron a sympathetic smile, "Of course, Ron, he's your brother." The bond which Harry was now starting to understand the strength of.

Carefully fingering the letter he opened it to be greeted with the low, hatefilled voice of the boy he once respected.

_"Dear Family,_

_Thank you for years of neglect and ridicule. Maybe for once in my life you can take my words seriously: I've joined the deatheaters. Finally a place where I am respected and not made into an outsider. I'm part of something greater than _your_ selective little family._

_Poor Ron, you were the only one who ever showed a shred of brotherly bond with me. I'm sorry for the way you found out yesterday._

_If any of you interfere me, I will not hesitate to kill you. Don't be under any illusions._

_Love, your adoring son and brother, Percy."_

Harry shuddered. Glancing at Ron who looked truly stricken, Harry felt waves of sympathy. "Ron, I'm so sorry."

"I mean, he was the brother I could have been close to. He understood what it was like to be left out sometimes. . .and. . ."

Placing a comforting hand on Ron's knee, Harry shook his head, "Ron. I know. I'm so sorry."

"So, in your world. He was okay? We were all okay?"

Harry bit the inside of his bottom lip, "As far as I know yes, but he _was_ working with Crouch and conflicting with the family quite a bit."

"Ah." Ron moved suddenly, "Well, I'm a bit tired... I think I'll hit the sack."

Harry frowned and was about to ask Ron to stay, before he saw the ill look on his best friend's face. "Alright, Mate. See you tomorrow."

Ron slid off the bed and vanished from view. Harry leaned back, tucking his hands beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. This was all so unreal. It seemed like an eternity ago when he was in his original life. This life he had created through his wish was awful. Destruction, death, so many lives ruined. If only he could take it back ... but well, that was the thing, wasn't it? If he was given the choice, he wasn't sure _what_ he would do.

The World or his family?

Feeling ill, Harry shut his eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Harry! Harry!"

**H**arry slowly opened two emerald eyes to be greeted by a large yellow chicken looming over him. He gave a yell and scrambled upward, "What the hell?"

The chicken dissolved into laughter and in a moment reverted into his grinning brother.

Instantly recognizing the mark of a Canary Cream, Harry quickly reverted to angry big brother mode. "ETHAN! Idiot! Get out!" He sent a gentle fist flying in the general direction of his brother.

Ethan chuckled and scrambled out of the canopy bed, "Wake up Harry! We're traveling again!"

Sleepily, Harry followed suit and entered the world of the living. It seemed that both Ethan and Ginny had joined their carriage for the night. Ginny and Hermione shared one bed, Ethan had obviously bunked with him, Ron was in the single and Draco and Parvati were curled up on the open air double bed. Yawning, Harry leaned over to Ethan and pointed at the bed where Hermione and Ginny still slept, "Bet you wish you could have taken Hermione's place, hmm?"

Reddening, Ethan let out a strangled shout as he looked around in case anyone had heard. "I'll get you for that Harry!"

"I'd like to see you try Ethan-_Tree_!"

"Harry-_Bear_!"

"Ah, makes me wish I had a brother to verbally annoy." Draco drawled, slowly sitting up in bed as he carefully entangled his arms from Parvati's waist so she wouldn't wake. His blonde hair was messy and crowned his head like a shaggy mop - a far cry from the gelled halo he usually wore. Gray eyes glittering, Draco glanced over at the bed where Hermione and Ginny slept, "Bet you wish you were Hermione, eh, Ethan?"

Ethan coloured and let out a furious growl before turning and stalking from the compartment.

Nodding his head toward the door, Draco looked at Harry, "Better go get our robes."

"Right." Harry agreed. Feeling a strange sense of lightness in his heart as they neared Hogwarts, Harry was comforted. No matter what else changed, he could always count on school being a constant. Hogwarts wouldn't have changed that much - right?

* * *

**H**arry could barely contain his excitement upon arrival at Hogwarts. Entering the vast Entrance hall, they quickly made their way to the double doors on the left. Catching sight of the fantastic Dining Hall, Harry felt a blossom of relief grow in his heart. The four house tables traveled the length of the hall and were covered with gleaming golden cutlery that flickered in beat from the light of the candles that hovered above them. Harry felt a pleased comfort as he saw his parents seated at the fifth, horizontal, teachers table. He attempted to suppress the shudder as Snape, once catching sight of him, smiled slightly.

Draco looked at others ruefully, "Off to Slytherin I go."

Ron smirked, "Who'd have thought Draco Malfoy would dislike Slytherin!"

"Oh I don't dislike it! After all, the most powerful, attractive wizard of all is a Slytherin!" Waiting a beat, Draco then quipped, "Me!"

Groaning at his ego, the others turned toward the Gryffindor table as Parvati and Draco shared a farewell kiss. Slipping into a seat, Harry sighed as his stomach began to rumble its displeasure at not being fed.

The hall was abuzz with laughter and conversation for good twenty minutes before the arrival of the first years. With a mild frown, Harry noted that the house tables seemed a bit shorter than he remembered. Looking around he felt as if there were definitely less students in attendance. Not a huge amount but enough to be noticeable.

The doors slammed open, putting an end to the conversation as the trembling first years headed by McGonagall made a line in front of the teachers table. Harry then caught sight of the ever large Hagrid as he took his place at the teacher's table, his long beard accidently knocking over his plate as he bent to sit down. Harry began to chuckle, but immediately stopped when the Sorting Hat began it's song :

"History shows that long ago,  
four wizards were the best.  
They had a dream to make a school,  
I'm sure you know the rest.

Teaching Magic was their wish,  
and so Hogwarts was born.  
But over which way to raise the young,  
The four Wizards were then torn.

Their brilliant solution,  
came on one dapper day,  
they would divide their school into houses four.  
and give me the final say.

So put me ontop your head,  
do not be afraid,  
I'll choose the house, correct for you,  
for that's why I was made.

Will you be placed in Gryffindor,  
Loving, Brave and Strong?  
Or maybe in Hard Working Hufflepuff  
is where your strengths belong.

Perhaps Ambitious Slytherin,  
is the house that calls for you.  
Or maybe clever Ravenclaw,  
with unearth your power true.

No matter which, they're all the best,  
so come up here and sit.  
Put me on and I will yell,  
the house that you'd best fit."

The entire hall erupted in cheers and applause as the Sorting Hat settled down. Professor McGonagall slowly unravelled a long piece of parchment which held all the names of the first year students. Her bespectacled eyes surveyed the shivering students.

"Christina Albernon!"

A small black haired girl crept up to the chair, practically convulsing in fright. She lifted the hat with trembling fingers and placed it on her head. Before she had even the chance to sit down the hat had already made its decision.

"Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table burst into cheers as she ran and took a seat, blushing profusely. Harry zoned out for the rest of the sorting, only taking the time to applaud the fourteen new Gryffindors. As the last student (Cain Lingam) was sorted into Ravenclaw, Harry's eyes slid over to the Ravenclaw table as he searched for the girl who had been his object of affection. Scanning the table three times, he caught no sight of the familiar Asian girl. Prodding Ron in the side, Harry whispered, "Where's Cho Chang?"

He turned to see Ron's face and was startled at the look of confusion that he gave him.

"Who's Cho Chang?"

**TO BE CONTINUED. . .**

What happened to Cho? Will Potions be a breeze for Harry? What's going on with Percy? What really happened to Sirius?

Please **review** and the next chapter will be out sooner!


	7. Potions with Uncle Sevi

**Author's Note: **This is probably the last chapter that depicts the original run/beginning of this story. The fun, light hearted aspects are soon going to take a turn!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life  
**

**Chapter 7 **

**Potions with Uncle Sevi**

* * *

**H**arry's jaw dropped.

Who was Cho Chang?

"You're joking, right?"

Ron shot him a confused look and then, in a hurried whisper, asked, "What are you talking about, Harry?"

"Cho Chang? The Ravenclaw Seeker?"

Ron's brow furrowed, "Harry, I have no idea who you're talking about. The Ravenclaw seeker is that girl, Emily Meanie." He pointed at a very elegant African girl who was talking to Roger Davies.

Harry was about to continue when Hermione looked over at them from her side of the table, "What are you two talking about?"

Ron turned slightly red, "Nothing. Could you pass me the bread basket? Yeah ... that one ... thanks."

When Hermione had turned back to Parvati, Harry tried again to get Ron's attention. "Ron. . ."

"Not now, Harry!" Ron snapped.

Irritated, Harry turned away from Ron to face whoever was sitting on his left. Seeing Colin Creevey's eager, smiling face, Harry groaned inwardly and reached for a slice of quiche.

"Hullo Harry! Back again, 'eh?"

"Er - That's right, Colin."

"Too bad we didn't get to hang out at your birthday party - I looked for you everywhere!"

"Right, too bad!" Harry responded dryly as he scooped some mashed potatoes onto his plate.

Pretending to be deeply interested in his food, Harry made it a point not to make any more conversation for the rest of the meal.

After everyone had eaten their fill and the school anthem had been sung, Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other Gryffindor prefect, an Indian girl whose name Harry didn't know, gathered the rest of their house and herded them toward their house entrance. Since there were no longer any sixth year prefects and the seventh years were still in the hall, the four of them had to juggle the entire truckload of Gryffindors. It was hours before they had gotten the first years settled, and by the time the trio were about to call it a night, they were knackered.

"Night girls!" Harry called to Hermione and the other prefect, Aishwarya, as the girls headed up toward their dorm. It was then he heard his name being called and turned to see his mother looking a bit awkward in the empty common room.

Harry's face split into a grin, "Hey, Mum!"

"Hi, Mrs. Potter!" Ron greeted before stepping onto the staircase, "Well, I'm off to bed! Night, Harry!"

"Ron-" Harry's eyes widened. He had been hoping to talk more with the boy, but as Ron bounded up the stairs he watched his chances fly out the window.

"I know you're probably cross for me to turn up here, but -" Handing a piece of parchment to Harry, Lily smiled, "You left your timetable at the Gryffindor table."

"I'm not cross!" Harry exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his mother in a hug. "I'd love it for you to visit!"

Lily looked pleased and hugged him back, "How did the first year round up go?"

"Ah, it was fun. Kinda cool to put a scare into those kids." Harry grinned into her hair.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Just like your father. Anyway…" She turned as if to leave but then hesitated, "I was going to say, I know you're feeling much better, but perhaps you'd like to sleep in our suite tonight? Plenty of extra room-"

"Sure!" Harry didn't need to be asked twice.

Surprise crossed his mother's face, "Really?" They headed out of Gryffindor tower, "But don't tell your Dad it was me who mentioned it. He thinks I'm nutty overprotective, already."

"Well, it's better than just being plain nutty like Dad-" Harry laughed.

* * *

"Double Potions first!" **H**ermione complained as soon as she sat down at the Gryffindor table, her heavy bag slamming against the ground.

Ron looked up from his bacon and eggs, "'awt? eff fot pafd!" Then after swallowing, he reiterated, "Snape's not that bad."

Harry sighed.

Hermione's brown eyes narrowed, "To you two! I do all the homework, answer all the questions and I still don't know why he doesn't like me!"

Ron mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like "Smart Chap" before smiling disarmingly at Hermione.

Harry poked at the sausages on his plate as he awaited the Owl Post. On cue, hundreds of owls began to make their way into the hall. Hedwig immediately zoomed down on to Harry, pecking him fondly before attacking his bread bun with a vengeance.

Harry opened his one letter and smiled once he saw Hagrid's messy scrawl.

_The hut? After school tomorrow? Bring Cutesy!  
Hagrid _

Harry rolled his eyes, remembering the day before they left to Hogwarts. His mother had introduced him to "Cutesy" - Hagrid's birthday gift to him. To his complete and utter _non_ surprise, it was an ugly creature called a Frungalump, complete with thirty five sharp teeth and three nostrils the size of a small book. Lily had wanted to set it out in the wild, but Hagrid had begged for it to be brought to Hogwarts.

"Potter! Can you please try to comb your hair once in awhile? It feels like my eyes are burning looking upon your sorry arse." Draco's drawling voice quipped from behind him.

A little surprised, Harry turned, ready for battle, before noticing the friendly grin on the other boy's face. "Well, if –"

"Okay, okay," Draco continued on, ignoring Harry, "You'll come up with some lame retort and we'll all pretend to laugh. Let's just save us the time, Potions anyone?" He grinned and chucked Harry on the shoulder while the Gryffindor muttered darkly beneath his breath.

Walking out of the hall, Harry was submerged in his thoughts. Potions with Professor Snape was torture. Potions with Uncle Sevi? **Hell.**

* * *

**S**liding into a seat between Ron and Dean, Harry was surprised to see Snape surveying the class with great distaste. His dark eyes narrowed menacingly as Neville burst through the door, rushing to his seat.

"Two points from Gryffindor for being late, Longbottom. And on the first day as well, I can already sense what the rest of this year is going to be like."

Muttered curses were emitted by the rest of the Gryffindors while the Slytherins giggled amongst themselves. In contrast, Harry's spirits were significantly lifted, Snape, a stupid git as always? He could handle this! As long as Snape didn't favour him in anyway ...

" - Nice Potions set you got there, Potter! You must have some very good friends!" Snape championed as he smiled at Harry warmly.

Harry clenched his fingers into his palm, doing his best not to bang his head against the table, "Thanks Professor." Instantly, he felt guilty for his prejudice against Snape. What was he doing? He had always made it a point to give everyone the benefit of the doubt! This Snape was obviously not that bad...maybe he was even a kind guy!

"Longbottom! If you touch those ingredients I will personally stuff you into that bottle!"

Then again, some things _never_ change.

The project of the day was a Sunlight Solution. Harry and Draco ended up partnered, a pairing that made Harry quite happy. Draco was excellent at potions. Unfortunately, Harry soon learned that the rivalry the two had held was still present and easily sparked:

"No! Are you daft? The Leek powder goes in first!"

"Wrong! The Salamander Tail, Snape said."

"Leek powder, you moron!"

"Tail! Idiot!"

Both hands hovered dangerously over the cauldron, the individual ingredient of choice clenched tightly in both fists.

Snape, alerted by the name calling and shouting, walked over to their unit, "Boys, it doesn't matter, either can go in first." He leaned over their cauldron for a better inspection of the yellow substance.

"Ha!" They both exclaimed, each dropping their item in simultaneously.

**BLAM! **

A huge cloud of yellow dust erupted and engulfed Snape's face.

The room fell silent as everyone froze.

The yellow smoke cleared.

There stood Snape, shaking with rage, his skin a bright, shocking, neon green.

(Neville, in the back of the room, fainted.)

Draco turned his head slightly, never taking his gray eyes off Snape and out of the corner of his mouth, whispered, "Run."

And they did.

The door slammed shut just as they reached it. Both boys turned slowly, attempting weak smiles at the rapidly advancing green Snape.

"WHAT. DO YOU. HAVE. TO SAY?"

Draco and Harry exchanged terrified looks, and in a last ditch effort to save his life, Harry spoke the impossible, "Sorry…_Uncle Sevi_?"

"Sorry? **SORRY?** Do you know what I have to say to THAT?" Snape roared, his face colouring such a furious red that it could be seen even through the green pigmentation.

Harry and Draco both whimpered.

Doing a quick calculation, Harry decided that if survived with three limbs intact he would be lucky.

Snape burst into laughter.

Harry gawked at Snape in utter confusion, before turning to look at Draco who had a similar look of disbelief. The rest of the class were out of sight as they had all hit the ground a moment after the explosion and were currently hiding beneath their desks.

"Your faces! I'll remember that forever!" Snape chuckled as he walked back down the aisle. Harry and Draco were frozen in shock.

"What?" Draco managed to cough out, his face even paler than usual.

"It was fun-_ny_!" Snape said slowly as if talking to a child, "Your faces! Honestly, I thought you would die on spot!"

Harry and Draco moved forward carefully as they eyed Snape warily.

"Well? Continue everyone! We don't have all day!"

As Snape shuffled some papers on his desk, Draco and Harry tentatively took their places once more.

"Oh!" Snape said, neon face glowing almost cheerfully, "Twenty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin and you both fail the assignment."

* * *

**U**nused to a full day of classes after the summer, Harry was exhausted, barely managing to drag himself through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor Common Room. Falling onto a couch, Harry sighed dramatically. "Dinner! Dinner!"

Hermione looked up from her book (Beauxbatons: A History), "In an hour I think."

Harry sighed miserably before deciding to find his Mother and Father. Energized he got to his feet and made his way toward the exit where he was intercepted by Ethan.

"Hullo Big Brother! Poppa wants to see you by the way, he's all worried cause you fainted and everything."

Harry's eyes narrowed, "I did not faint! I was in a _coma!_"

Ethan grinned, "Sure, fainter!"

Harry quickly punched him in the shoulder before climbing back through the portrait hole amidst taunts of "Fainter! Fainter". Sliding his hand against the stone wall of the hallway as he walked, Harry sighed. The commotion of the school day had provided him with a wonderful distraction from the thoughts that constantly plagued his mind. Coming to a halt in front of the familiar Gargoyle statue, Harry called out the password Ethan had mentioned to him during holidays, "Cracked Corn!"

The gargoyle stared stonily back at him.

"Oh man, you just HAD to change it again, Professor. Chocolate Frogs? ... Bertie Botts? ... Blood pops? ... Dammit! Candy Apples? OPEN UP, you wretched thing! Jelly Bellies? ... What the hell is it?" Becoming frustrated, Harry began to name off the most absurd things he could think of, "Rat sticks? ABC Gum? Crap Cakes?"

Immediately the statue pounced to life and moved out of the way. Harry sighed at his "Poppa"'s choice of passwords and began to climb the winding staircase. Reaching Dumbledore's office only to find it empty, Harry walked inside.

"Hello Fawkes, how've you been?" He greeted the preening Phoenix idly, wandering around the room.

Fawkes cooed softly in reply.

…But Harry was no longer interested in the beautiful bird. Instead he was watching the contents of Dumbledore's Pensieve with great interest. Placing his hands on either side of the stone basin, Harry leaned his face as close as possible, trying to see the scene that had unravelled once he had poked the misty silver substance. Being more than a tad curious at what memories Dumbledore would have placed in it, Harry decided that since he could benefit from _any_ memories of this world, it was perfectly appropriate to look.

In fact, the room that had formed within the pensieve was oddly familiar. Harry hadn't _meant_ to get pulled in abruptly as he had had in the past, but was indeed simply by letting his forehead graze the surface.

Like his previous experience with the pensieve, Dumbledore's room lurched as if being tilted by an invisible hand and Harry was pushed into the depths of the memory. An icy blast hit him straight on as he dangled in a black limbo for a brief second before everything cleared and he was standing in the familiar room - the living room at the Potter's home.

Sitting on a couch was Dumbledore, and in front of him?

Sirius Black.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

What tales does the pensieve hold? Will Harry ever get any answers from this world?

**Please take the time to leave a review :)  
**


	8. A Sirius Tale

Please remember to review! I love to hear your thoughts and analysis! I always reply to every signed review :D

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 8  
**

**A Sirius Tale  
**

* * *

**S**irius was as Harry had never seen him before in real life. He was very young, perhaps just past twenty and sporting the type of outfit only a real heart throb could get away without look a bit off their rocker: Leather pants and a white wife beater. He looked at ease, smiling vaguely at Dumbledore.

Harry began to feel choked up. Sirius had meant the world to him and the guilt he had been carrying over making the wish that was responsible for his death had been slowly killing him on the inside. Walking over to Sirius, he reached out to touch him and grasped only thin air.

Swiping at his tears, Harry stood beside his Godfather, determined to find out whatever he could.

"Sirius. You're being too careless with this. Just because Voldemort hasn't attacked yet, doesn't mean he won't. Being James and Lily's secret keeper is dangerous. You're an obvious choice. I do not change my opinion that they should change it."

Sirius looked unmoved and his smile faded, "Come on, shouldn't you be worrying about James' safety first? It doesn't matter about me."

Dumbledore frowned, looking stern, "Sirius, you're as much a grandson to me as James. I want a solution that will have you both alive and well."

Sirius shifted, obviously a little embarrassed by Dumbledore's affection.

"Professor, I am going into this with full knowledge of what the risks are. I refuse to let them change it to Wormtail! God knows the man's an overgrown doormat! He doesn't have what it takes and I will be fine -"

Sirius's rant was cut off by a young looking Lily sweeping into the room with a struggling infant in her hands. The older Harry looked at his toddler self with a smile. He hadn't known much of what he had looked like in his younger days as the Dursleys had tried their best to exclude him from their photographs and videos so seeing himself in motion was a neat experience.

His godfather was on his feet immediately, arms outsretched to take Harry. Mirroring his stance, the near-one Harry began to crow happily, squirming in his mother's arms in eagerness to attach himself to his Godfather. "Padoo! Padoo!"

Sirius lifted the baby up and spun him around, "How's my little Godson today?"

Toddler Harry giggled and patted Sirius' nose, "Lo Padoo!"

"You love me?" Sirius grinned, oblivious now to both Lily and Dumbledore, "I love you too, Pronglet!" Cradling the child as if it was his natural instinct, Sirius smiled charmingly at the baby as Harry cooed up at him.

"Well. I've decided. We'll change the secret keeper." James noted as he walked into the room to join his family. Seeing the furious look on Sirius' face, he quickly took a step back. "Sirius ... "

"No, James. I gave you the suggestion in the first place - and I'm taking it back!"

Lily cast her eyes downward as she sat, allowing her husband to make the decision which would change their lives.

"But Sirius ..."

"JAMES! I'm afraid for you! I don't feel right about this. I have never steered you wrong, so listen to me today, for Harry's sake!"

James sighed and looked at Dumbledore for some help, "Sirius, I feel it would be better to use Wormtail. Safer for you."

Sirius shot him an angry glare. "James, trust me. If they haven't gotten to me yet, they never will."

The room was filled with tension as the two friends stared at eachother. Even the baby quieted, blinking with curiosity at his father.

James gave a heavy sigh, looking very old as he massaged his temples. "Granddad, cast the charm. I won't change my mind…" Eyes sliding from his great grandfather to his wife and finally to his best friend, James blinked nervously, "….with Sirius."

Baby Harry smiled.

* * *

**T**he scene became foggy and began to dissolve before Harry's eyes as he realised that this was the moment his wish had changed the past. When his surroundings began to solidify, Harry found himself once again in their lounge at Godric's Hollow. The lights were dim, and Harry glanced at Dumbledore to his left before turning his attention onto the little boy in the center of the crowd: Himself. He was young in this memory, face still round with babyish youth. To young Harry's right was James, carrying a babbling toddler Ethan with flaming hair. Lily appeared in the doorway with a large birthday cake topped with five fat candles.

It was his fifth birthday.

Emotionally, Harry was worn to the brink, but his rational mind told him to take in as much as possible, so he moved closer toward the memory of himself. As the crowd burst into a round of Happy Birthday, young Harry smiled gleefully, his eyes shining with the innocence and happiness of an indulged childhood. With one blow, he puffed out all five candles and shot a look of triumph to everyone around the room.

"I'm FIVE now!"

Toddler Ethan seemed to find this extremely exciting and crowed with happiness, clapping two chubby fists together. "Happy Birfday Hawwy!"

"Yeah kid! Five!"

Harry's head automatically turned to the sound of the voice - Sirius. The taller man, still looking as healthy and youthful as before, swooped down beside little Harry and ruffled his hair.

"- And you know what that means? Your first flying lesson is today!"

Lily sighed and shook her head.

Handing Harry a small package, Sirius remembered to smile disarmingly at Lily, "As your Godfather, I have the duty of presenting you with your first ... dum dee dum ... **broom**!"

Little Harry squealed and pounced on top of the package much to the amusement of the other guests. Ripping apart the wrapping paper, he was left with a child sized practice broom with a gold engraving of: _ABC, My first broom_.

James smiled proudly, "He's gonna be a chaser like his old dad!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "No way, a beater like his Papa Padfoot!"

"Chaser!"

"Beater!"

"Chaser!"

"Beater!"

"Keeper!" Remus butted in, making his way through the crowd! "Like Uncle Remus,  
right?"

"Seeker!" Little Harry giggled, efficiently ending the argument, "I wanna be a seeker!"

Sirius, Remus and James looked at each other in astonishment, then back at Harry before swooping down on top of him.

"Come on Champ, are you sure? Chaser, all the way!"

"Kid! Beater! Like me!"

"Harry, a keeper! That's what you meant, not a seeker, right?"

"Seeker!" Little Harry persisted, shaking his head.

"But ... But ..." The three grown men spluttered.

Dumbledore chuckled, alerting Harry back to his presence. McGonagall, who was standing beside him, smiled. "Honestly, that Sirius Black, always at the center of everything."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "I know, but what would we do without him?"

Harry felt his heart sink as he turned back to the party. Apparently, Sirius was trying to leave to fetch his own broom, having had his beater offer so delicately rejected. His five-year-old Godson had had other plans however, and was attached to Sirius' legs while howling for him not to leave.

"Come on kid, _let go_! I'll be back soon!"

"Noooo! Don't gooooo!"

Sirius sighed and with one gentle pull had Harry in his arms, "You wait here and open your pressies, okay? I'll be back!" He winked, "You know I'll _never_ leave you!"

Angering, the real Harry clenched his fists, "YOU _DID_ SIRIUS! And it's all my fault! My fault!" But his shouting was for vain for no one heard him and in a moment he felt the same cold feeling as he saw the happy image of Sirius and him disappear into nothing, only to be replaced by an eerie darkness.

* * *

**A**s the scene came back into view, Harry was surprised to find himself in front of Dumbledore's desk. Had all the memories in the pensieve been completed? The  
headmaster was seated, looking straight at Harry, head resting upon his folded hands.

"Sir! I mean, I didn't mean to enter your pensieve - it just happened ..." Harry began apologetically, but froze when he saw the darkness in his great grandfather's eyes.

"That's _completely unacceptable_!" Dumbledore spoke in a quiet, yet deadly voice, sending chills down Harry's spine. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Sirius' voice. He gasped, realizing he was still caught within the midst of the pensieve.

"Poppa," Sirius seemed to have adopted the term of affection that the Potters used, "I have to do this. James and Lily have two kids to think off. Remus is coming upon the nights of his transformation and everyone in the order is already worn thin. If we have any hopes in keeping all the different sides from turning we cannot back down at this opportunity."

"You forget Sirius that you have a wife to think of now! You cannot be so wild-"

Harry froze, forehead tight. Sirius had been married?

Sirius sighed, "I know that, Poppa, but I do this as much for her as anyone else. You know very well that we must attempt this. The dementor base in the south of Europe is significant and with reports of mobilization…." He sighed and tried a different tactic, "Afterall, I have a significant benefit in being an unregistered animagi!"

Harry stared at Sirius for a long moment, noting that he was definitely older than the last memory. Handsome still, he had lost the boyish good looks and certainly become a man by this point.

As Dumbledore looked close to putting his foot down, Sirius quickly continued on, "Just because you care for me doesn't mean it's fair to protect me more than the rest of the Order." His bright eyes met Dumbledore's for a long moment.

Dumbledore gave a great sigh, "Sirius, I'm not pleased with this. Not at all. I understand you however, and you're free to do as you want. Just…please…be careful."

Sirius smiled and walked over to Dumbledore, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry so much."

"That is the problem with family, Sirius. One tends only to worry."

The younger wizard gave a chuckle. "I promise I will be okay. I'll be home to see Harry in his fifth year-" He pointed toward the window, and Harry's gaze followed it, widening in surprise as he saw a tiny him on a broomstick circling about the quidditch pitch with his team.

A sick feeling took his stomach as he realised the exact moment in time the memory was from. The sadness of his entire situation hit him full blast. Here was Sirius, with an entire family and wife, ready to fight the good fight with full conviction that he would come back alive. Yet he never did. The only father figure Harry had ever known was dead, all because of a selfish wish he had made. It was all his fault.

"You swear that to me, Sirius."

"Marauder's honor." Sirius grinned, "And I never break such a promise."

* * *

**H**arry tried to quell the rising nausea and guilt, and wiped at the new tears in his eyes as the memory began to fade, only to be replaced by Dumbledore's office once again.

This time Harry found himself standing beside himself. This Harry was almost identical in build to his current self. It was like staring into a mirror.

"Yeah, Poppa?" Memory-Harry questioned, looking uninterested in what Dumbledore was going to tell him, "I really need to get back – if you're worried about that fall yesterday – I'm fine – the broom wasn't that high up and –"

"No, Harry. I have news."

Both Harrys felt a pit of dread in their stomach. "About?"

"Sirius."

The real Harry doubled over, knowing what was coming.

"Harry, we got word that he was captured by the Deatheaters a few days ago. Late last night the tracking charm on his showed no sign and today…." Dumbledore paused, looking very old as he slid his spectacles off his face, pressing the bridge of his nose with his thumb, "I'm so sorry Harry, but he is dead."

The memory Harry stared at Dumbledore for a moment, "No."

"Harry -"

"NO! Why didn't you tell me, Poppa?! Why did you keep that from me?"

"Harry, we didn't want to upset you unless-"

"-Why didn't you DO ANYTHING?! Why did you let him die?! It's not true!"

"I'm sorry Har -"

"It's not **TRUE**!" Green eyes blazing, Harry was practically glowing. Dumbledore's table went crashing into the wall opposite Fawkes who immediately screeched at the noise. Paper went everywhere and sparks shot off around the room. After the initial commotion, Harry stood shaking in the center of the round room. "Sorry…I didn't mean…"

He collapsed into a heap of grieving teenager.

Harry felt the air begin to pull him away from the memory, and he reached out, as if he didn't want to leave it. Pulled out as if he was but a puppet being lifted off stage, he stumbled when his feet hit the ground. The bright light of Dumbledore's office quickly replaced the darkness and cold of the pensieve's depths.

The headmaster stood in front of him, looking amused. "In my pensieve again, Harry?"

Harry looked about, "Oh no, I mean ... I didn't mean to Professor! I'm sorry it just -"

Dumbledore chuckled as he slid across the floor to his desk. "Calm down, Harry, I'm well aware of your curious mind. I'm not angry." He sat down and peered at Harry above his glasses. "I wanted to see you, I've been quite worried-"

"I was fine, just a little accident."

"Going into a coma for a month is not what I would classify as a little accident, Harry. And it's not only that - you've been acting differently. At your birthday party, well, you weren't ... " Suddenly Dumbledore froze, his eyes piercing into Harry, who looked around nervously. "Did you call me Professor?"

Harry's eyes widened, "Uh, no? I probably … got mixed up, never mind…either way the whole coma thing, no need to worry-"

Dumbledore looked significantly darker as he leaned back on his chair, "Why not tell me the truth?"

Harry blinked, his hand running through his dark hair in nervousness as his great-grandfather suddenly cast a very serious atmosphere into the room, "What do you mean? What do you want me to tell you?"

Dumbledore smiled a rather strange smile.

"How about you start by telling me who exactly you are?"

**TO BE CONTINUED ... **

Well, well, well! Dumbledore seems to have noticed that Harry doesn't belong! What'll happen? What the hell happened to that rat, Wormtail? What's going on with Quidditch this year (Big surprise with this one!)? Why can't Sirius be alive, and in leather, or is he...? **If you enjoy this story please remember to REVIEW!**


	9. Poppa's Guidance

**Author's Note (2012) : **So in the rewrite of this chapter, the first scene has changed drastically. Originally as this story began before HP and the OOTP I had come up with something similar to Legilmency, a spell casted as "Verite" that accomplished a mix between Veritaserum and what J.K. explained as Legilmency. Not wanting to be redundant, I changed the spell to Legilmens, as such the entire first half of this chapter has been completely rewritten! Hope you enjoy!

**Please remember to review! **

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 9**

**Poppa's Guidance**

* * *

**T**he look on Dumbledore's face was reminiscent to the one it had held when he was bearing down on Crouch the previous year. There would be no doubt in Harry's mind why Dumbledore was the most respected wizard in the world as, with his blue eyes cold and lips drawn into a thin line, he looked absolutely terrifying.

Harry took a step back, scared. "I'm…I'm Harry Potter."

Dumbledore gave a humorless chuckle, "Your master won't be getting anything out of this foolish charade. _Legilmens!_"

Immediately, Dumbledore's office swam before Harry's eyes and vanished. It was as if Harry's mind had suddenly taken on its own life form and was tunnelling through time, image after image flashing in front of him, burning away his surroundings.

He was five, watching Dudley eat plates of gingerbread men for dessert while he only had an unappetizing lone sesame seed snap … he was nine, being chased by Ripper the bulldog up a tree while the Dursleys laughed and his heart pounded in fear…he was eleven and flying through the air for the first time on the training brooms….he was thirteen and waiting in the forest for his father's 'ghost' to come and save Sirius and him from the dementors…he was turning fifteen and making a wish on a star…. He was fifteen and it was his very first birthday party with his entire family - he was so happy it felt like bubbles of excitement were expanding his chest…

Suddenly it was over, and Harry found himself sprawled on the floor of Dumbledore's office, shaking in fright.

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Dumbledore began haltingly, standing now and walking over to him.

"What did you do to me?" Harry cried out, angered at what had felt like an assault on his mind.

"If you were my Harry you would know what I did, as you have been trained in Occlumency." Dumbledore began slowly.

"What are you TALKING about?" Harry scrambled to get to his feet. That had felt awful. The worst part was being forced to remember things from the previous world. It was with that thought that he realised what Dumbledore had said and knew Dumbledore now knew the truth about him.

"I…I didn't mean for this to happen!" His voice pitched higher, "I didn't do anything to him...to your Harry!"

"Yes, I know." Dumbledore said enigmatically, "Please sit down, Harry."

For a moment, Harry thought to run away. Suddenly he felt his world crumbling around him. Would Dumbledore find a way to get rid of him so that 'his' Harry would be back? Afterall, why would he want Harry the way he was when he had had that happy, loved boy? Who would want his version of himself? A freak with magic who brought on death to everyone near and dear to him?

"You made a heir's wish. I saw. Can you tell me the differences in your world, Harry? What the change was?" Dumbledore exhaled through pursed lips, his finger steepling in front of him as he watched his Grandson.

"I….I….well…uh, my parents used Pettigrew as their secret keeper and on Halloween, Voldemort attacked our home. He killed my father and my mother, but Mum had given her life for me and when he went to kill me the curse reflected back on him. I…was sent to live with my Mother's sister. I never knew I was a wizard and they … they treated me miserably." He looked at Dumbledore who was staring at him with a strange intensity that he took to mean to continue.

"Uh, when I was 11, Hagrid came and collected me. I started Hogwarts that year and met you….I never knew you were my great-great-grandfather." Harry let his sentence linger, wanting Dumbledore to know that in one way or another he had hurt him by excluding him from that knowledge. "In my first year, Voldemort tried to steal the Philosopher's stone, but with Ron and Hermione helping me, I stopped him. He didn't leave me alone after that though: In my second year he used his old diary and opened the Chamber of Secrets. I fought him again, almost died. Last year there was a Triwizard Tournament-" Harry felt his throat close as the night came flooding back to him, "My name was placed in the Goblet of Fire by Barty Crouch in order to trap me ... the year went by quickly with weird things happening ... I mean, I had these dreams and my scar would hurt ... Anyway, during the last task Cedric Diggory and I both tied ... "

_... Kill the Spare ... _

"and we took the trophy - but it was a portkey. It took us to a graveyard where Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew - his servant, were waiting and together they killed Cedric, and used my blood to bring Voldemort back to full power... I ..."

_...Take my body back ... _

Harry felt wetness on his cheeks and touched his face dumbly realising that at sometime he had begun to cry. "I was so alone ... it was all my fault everyone died ... Later ... I wished ... I wished ... that my Mother and Father had never died ... I didn't mean to change everything. I didn't mean to replace_ your_ Harry."

Dumbledore looked grave, "That was an incorrect choice of words I used –"

But Harry was on a self-loathing roll and continued, "I didn't know! I really didn't know, and I was so alone-"

"It's okay, Harry." Dumbledore said softly.

"NO! It's not okay! Sirius ... "

_... He must really like you, Harry... Imagine having to live off rats ... _

"He's **dead** now ... and ..." Harry felt his chest begin to tighten, "What can I do? I screwed up everything and your Harry is gone and I'm here instead and trouble follows my every step, everyone dies because of me!" Harry knew he wasn't making much sense, but when he felt Dumbledore reach over the desk and place a hand on his shoulder he felt relief that at least the Headmaster understood a little of what he was saying.

"That's enough, Harry. It is not your fault in the least. With power comes a great burden. Our pursuits of things we want often lead us to lose things that we also love dearly." Dumbledore himself looked rather lost and stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts, "You did not know what an heir's wish was, but what was_ meant_ to be _will_ be. **This** is the world now, Harry. Fate is strange sometimes. Sirius is dead, yes, but your parents are alive. Cedric is alive. You must think that this is what is meant to be. You cannot let yourself get so caught up in the past that you forget to live."

Harry looked up at his grandfather, "I...I don't know how to do that. I'm not the Harry Potter you all think I am. I don't remember anything, my only memories of childhood involve being locked in a cupboard and getting beaten up by my cousin. And… Sirius was the only father I ever knew…"

"Harry," Dumbledore was swift to put a stop to his talk, "Sirius was a wonderful man. He was a father to you even in this course of history, but there is nothing you can do. What has happened has happened. Heir's wishes are often followed by grave regrets." Dumbledore looked faraway for a moment, a shadow passing over his eyes, "But in the end, life is the way fate has meant it to be, even if the fates have chosen certain people to shoulder the weight of that." He paused. "You ARE the same Harry, did you not see the memories I saw when I read your mind?"

Harry blinked, "Yes, the Dursleys and the dementors and my birthday party-"

"No, you didn't see the ones about when Ethan was born? When you broke your leg at Christmas a few years back?"

"No." Harry looked at Dumbledore as if he might be just a little bit mad.

"Hm." Pushing his half-moon spectacles up his nose, Dumbledore sat back a little, "Well, _I_ saw them, which means that the memories are inside you, you just haven't been able to unlock them. Perhaps once you start focusing on the future you will see that you might belong here afterall and your past will make itself known to you."

This was an exciting thought.

"So, I really am your Harry then?" His voice was so small that Harry felt an embarrassed flush taking over him at his neediness. "This was my life, I just remember something else?"

"It's hard to say," Dumbledore nodded, "You are certainly my Harry, our Harry, it's just you've lived two different fifteen years of life, one of which is unlocked and one which isn't. I would imagine your wish changed the past and you lived your proper life here, only to gain consciousness of the change on the day you made the change in the previous life. Ah, alternate universes, time changes, such messy businesses."

Mind still a little boggled, Harry blinked. "Are you going to tell my parents?" He asked nervously.

There was a long moment before Dumbledore shook his head, "Not until the day you decide you want to or when circumstances are imperative. I must say, this explains quite a lot: you've been so different recently, very overwhelmed. When you were in the coma you gave off large amounts of magical energy which is a highly unusual thing to do unless a wizard was going through a life altering distress which I now see: you were." He looked sad, "I am sorry you had to go through all this by yourself-" He was interrupted by a sharp rapping on his door.

"Albus, its time for dinner." McGonagall called.

"Yes, I am coming." Dumbledore answered before turning back to Harry, "We shall talk later. Anytime."

Harry stood, wiping at his eyes, "Okay."

"And Harry?"

"Yes?"

"**This **is your life now - so live it."

* * *

**I**n Northern France, the young man remained in his makeshift prison. Head on his knees, he barely moved, barely blinked, barely breathed. It had been a lucky week, his captors had only stopped by to provide food instead of an interrogation.

He wouldn't give in. If only ... if only he could warn Harry and his parents that everything wasn't as it seemed - but as weakness swept through his bones he shuddered, unsure of how much longer he could keep going.

* * *

**I**t was a comforted Harry Potter that met up with his friends in the Great Hall. The guilt was still present, but Dumbledore was right: this was his life now. Sirius was gone, but there were many others who he loved who were still alive. Harry would protect them while mourning for the only father he had known, but he could not let that mourning overtake his life. Sirius would never have wanted that. …And if he ever got a chance to put things right, well, he wasn't sure what he would do, but for now, he would live and try to make this world better.

After dinner, Harry, intending to speak with Ron and ask some questions, attempted to steer him away from the Gryffindor common room. Unfortunately, they were intercepted by Ethan who told him that their parents had called to see them. Promptly forgetting about Ron, Harry accompanied his brother to the fourth floor which housed much of the staff. Reaching their parents suite, Ethan yawned and dropped down onto a sofa.

The suite was circular with many doors peppering the walls. The central circle included the living room and a kitchenette while the doors led to two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Sitting beside Ethan, Harry placed his hands behind his head and stretched.

Walking out of his bedroom, James smiled at his children, "Hullo boys, how was your first day?"

Ethan shrugged, "S'okay. Nothing important."

James turned shining eyes onto his eldest, "Seems a lot of exciting stuff happened to you?"

Harry grinned at the memory of a neon-faced Snape, "It was an accident!"

James smirked, "You don't need to justify yourself to me, Sport, but your Mum's on a rampage. She says I'm a bad influence on you two," He grinned, "I say: Job well done!"

"Rampage! It was an accident!" Harry protested as Ethan snorted.

James shook his head sadly, "Yes, I know, but your Mum; she's out for blood. Something about sending you to be raised by trolls-"

"James!" Lily scolded, finally making her appearance, "What is wrong with you? Between this and telling Ethan that monsters do live in the closet - you're going to give them a complex!" She planted a firm kiss on her husband's lips before smiling at Harry, "Don't worry darling - I'm not angry with you."

Harry calmed while Ethan sighed, "Mum, is there any food here?"

Lily smiled at Ethan, "Of course darling, there are some sandwiches on the counter." She pointed carelessly toward the kitchenette before sliding onto James' lap.

Ethan screwed up his face, "Mo-om, Da-ad! Come on! Not while your spawn is in the room!"

Harry, on the other hand ,didn't mind his parents being affectionate. He was pleased just to have them.

Lily and James, to make their son scream more, smirked and gave eachother a long snog. Ethan, as could be predicted, pretended to gag.

The family settled into talk about the first day back at classed, when McGonagall's voice blared through the room. "Attention - all house team Quidditch players, please report to the Grand Hall immediately!"

Cringing from the volume, James rolled his eyes in the direction of a small glowing white ball. "I hate those bloody voice beads - well? Get going!" He grinned in the boys' direction.

Harry had already expertly deduced that Ethan was a chaser on the team ("Did you bring your broom, Ethan?", "Duh Harry, they'd kick me off as chaser if I used one of those crappy Cleansweeps!") and so looked curiously at his brother as they walked toward the Hall. "Do you know what this about?"

Ethan shrugged, "I think Dad knows, see the way he gave us thumbs up when we left?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Dad gives a thumbs up if we sneeze on someone."

Deflecting a spitball Peeves shot at them, Ethan pushed the doors to the Dining Hall open. Together they walked in to find the school's Quidditch community chattering frantically.

Very quickly they were joined by the twins, Draco and Ron (the latter to Harry's surprise). Forming a small circle they began to speculate on the reason for being called down.

"I heard ..." Fred began, looking from side to side, "That this year, each Quidditch team member has to face certain health standards."

"That's right ..." George continued, leaning in, "So they've devised a series of tests ... something about you and a giant in a boxing ring, or something."

Harry raised an eyebrow and began to speak but Ethan quickly interrupted.

"You're JOKING!" He growled, looking rather petrified, "You so are!"

Fred shrugged and tapped his nose in a secretive manner, "Am I, Ethan? Am I?"

Ethan turned wide eyes onto his older brother, and Harry grinned, shaking his head. "Don't worry Ethan. No giant will get you."

Ethan shrugged, "Pfft ... like I'd be scared anyway!" He exclaimed as his face lost its pasty white colour and his fists unclenched from their rather painfully tight position.

Harry grinned and shared a glance with Draco and Ron.

"Ahem! Excuse me ... Excuse me ... c'mon ... could you all please SHUT THE HELL UP!" A loud voice bellowed from the front of the room.

Oliver Wood stood on the elevated platform of the teacher's dining table looking as sporty and gung-ho about Quidditch as ever before.

He grinned, "I'm sure most of you know who I am, former Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, currently playing for England's international team - the London Lions" His eyes glinted with a type of mad pride.

There were many ooh's and aah's from the female players, to whom Oliver flashed a saucy grin. "Anyway ... I'm here to announce that there will be no interhouse Quidditch games this year."

To that, the whole group erupted angrily. Fred and George immediately started up a chant of:

_Quidditch! Quidditch! Buy-from-Weasley-Wizard-Wheezes! Quidditch! Quidditch! _

Oliver shot them a disgruntled look, "BUT!" He continued, "I'm _also_ here to announce the start up of an Interschool Quidditch Tournament. I'm sure the majority of you know about the North American one that takes place every two years. The schools in Europe have finally come upon an agreement to hold a tournament. The other schools participating have been working over the summer since they had to win first in their regions to be the ones to represent it. Hogwarts' abilities are undisputed however, and it was an unanimous vote that our school be the representative for the British Isles as well as Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Their schools are all tiny and rubbish anyhow. Durmstrang will be representing the East, Beauxbatons for Northern Europe and Granmagia for Southern Europe."

The room was silent.

Oliver smiled, enjoying being the center of attention, "We will be choosing a team in two weeks, so practice hard everyone! Only the best will be chosen and - "

At this moment, the doors slammed open as Ludo Bagman rushed in, looking rather out of breath. "Sorry, sorry I say," He muttered as he made his way up to Oliver, "Completely lost track of time ... Sorry old chap ..."

Oliver looked disgruntled, "Yes ... as I was saying, I've been asked to coach ... along with..." His voice dropped with displeasure, "Mr. Bagman."

Bagman, once on stage, smiled brightly. "Yes, yes! I'm sure this will be lots of fun! You may even be able to learn some beater techniques from me!" He struck a rather odd pose which Harry figured had meant to look dashing, but instead came out pathetic.

Oliver rolled his eyes, "Er, Right ... That's all for now!"

Immediately the hall ruptured into excited chatter. Ethan turned wide eyes onto his brother, "Smashing! You're trying out, right Harry?"

Harry grinned, "Yeah ... maybe ..."

Ron chucked Harry on the shoulder, "Yeah, it'll be wicked! ..." His face fell, "But ... I don't know if I can take part…"

"Why not?"

"Mum said I'm not allowed to do any extra curricular until my marks are up." Ron muttered darkly, "She said she's given up on the Twins ... Why not me?"

Harry smiled, "Don't worry about it Ron, there's always sixth year."

Oliver made his way through the hall, pausing only to chat to the Twins. Passing Harry he punched him hard on the shoulder, "'ello, Harry! Long time no see! Trying out, I presume?"

Harry nodded his affirmative (Whilst trying not to wince) to which Oliver grinned, "Good - see you then!"

Ron nodded toward the door, "Gryffindor Tower anyone?"

Harry and Ethan followed Ron out into the hallway after a quick goodbye to Draco. The three were so deeply immersed into their conversation that as they turned the corner, Harry went crashing into a man. Glasses knocked aside, he grasped blindly for them. "Sorry!"

"Quite all right." The man replied as he took Ron's hand to stand up. "Thank you Mr. Weasley."

Harry slid his glasses on, but froze when he heard Ron's next words.

"You're welcome Professor Quirrell."

**TO BE CONTINUED ... **

Quirrell the Squirrell is ba-ack! Is he evil? Or is good? Will Harry make Seeker on the Quidditch team? How is Dumbledore gonna help Harry along? Will that trapped guy ever get free? What the hell happened to James' parents? Why did Wood call Harry, Harry and not Potter? What's going down with the Deatheaters? All this and more, NEXT CHAPTER! Lots more coming up including a Lily centric chapter**. If you enjoy this story, please let me know by REVIEWING. I love to hear comments and feedback and I will ALWAYS respond to your reviews :)**


	10. Quidditch, Anyone?

**Author's Note****: **This chapter has barely changed from its original format aside from minor editing and dialogue changes.

Enjoy and please remember to **REVIEW**!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 10**

**Quidditch, Anyone?**

* * *

**H**arry scrambled to his feet and stared incredulously at the retreating form of the man who had tried to kill him. "Professor Quirrell?" He exclaimed, shooting Ron a bewildered look.

Ethan frowned, "Yeah, what's wrong with you Harry?"

Having forgotten that his little brother was there, Harry quickly calmed himself, "Oh ... Er, I just ... I thought maybe he'd have taken points off for me crashing into him like that."

Ethan shot his brother a strange look, "Quirrell? Please, he wouldn't take points off if you hit him over the head with a rock- too bad he teaches such a crappy subject as Ancient Runes."

With that, the subject was dropped, yet Harry still felt the stirring of misgivings within him. Seeing Quirrell again was a flashback to a time he didn't even want to remember. The memory of Quirrell unwrapping his turban to show Voldemort on the back of his head was etched into his brain forever. Shuddering, Harry shrugged of his thoughts.

* * *

At Gryffindor tower they were greeted by Hermione and the other Gryffindor 5th year prefect.

"You've got night duty in a hour," Hermione informed Ron and Harry matter-of-factly, "Aishwarya and I have it tomorrow night."

Harry groaned, "You're joking! I'm literally dying at this moment."

Hermione looked significantly miffed, "Harry, you're a prefect now - you have to take your duties seriously!"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Honestly Hermione, do you ever stop lecturing?"

Hermione reddened, "You're such a prat Ron, just because you're lazy doesn't mean we all are!"

Intercepting the imminent battle, Harry spoke, "Okay, okay. Stop it both of you! We get it, prefect means work, all right?"

However the damage was done, and Ron and Hermione were both glaring at each other furiously. Realising it was useless to try and get them to patch things up, Harry sighed tiredly and turned to go to the boys dorms for a quick nap. The newly named Aishwarya called out at him, "You can take the corridor in front of the Portrait Hole if you're tired. You can sit down there while you're on duty."

"Thanks." Harry grinned, a feeling of having forgotten something overtaking him.

She gave him an odd look as if not quite sure about something. "Yeah."

Making his way up to the 5th year boy's dorm, Harry decided to take a quick nap before duty. The circular room was empty and Harry fell asleep very quickly indeed.

* * *

**T**he next morning Harry flew through the corridors of Hogwarts frantically munching on a piece of toast.

He was late for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Harry had slept through Charms that morning after forcing himself to stay awake during corridor duty (His efforts were only rewarded by Peeves making faces at him all through the night). But he wasn't interested in missing DADA for two reasons; first, his parents were the teachers and he liked to spend as much time with them as possible. Second, because of the fact that they were the teachers meant that they wouldn't want to be accused of favouritism (Something Snape didn't mind) and may dock him the compulsory ten points for lateness without appropriate excuse.

Whirling into the room, Harry opened his mouth to begin an apology when he realised his parents were nowhere to be seen. The student body was crowded around the middle of the classroom looking around. Stuffing the remaining section of toast into his mouth, and licking the tiny bit of marmite which had marked his finger, Harry walked over to Hermione and Ron. "Where's my Mum and Dad?"

Ron shrugged, "Dunno."

Hermione shot him a pointed look, "When _do_ you ever actually know something?"

Ron's ears turned pink as he scowled at Hermione, mumbling dark curses beneath his breath.

Harry sighed, they were still at it! He was about to begin his peacekeeping motions when the floating candles that lit the room went out leaving the classroom in darkness. There was a low hiss from the left and the class turned to face the direction of the noise. From the darkness a large hulk of a monster appeared. Over 7 foot, it was dark furred with extremely long teeth and claws. Hermione let out a tiny squeal, grabbing onto Ron's arm. The monster roared as it approached the class, who consequently erupted in screams as everyone tried to run. Harry backed up in fear. In a minute the beast had effortlessly cornered the class between itself and a wall.

Harry winced as he looked up at the beast's glassy eyes. It was terrifying, it was huge, it was ...

"Dad?"

Immediately the beast vanished and James Potter stood in its place smirking as he fingered his wand. "Good Harry, you kept calm." He looked at the rest of the class who were staring at him in surprise, "And that children, was your first demonstration - the dark arts aren't gonna just wait around until you're ready - you should _always _be ready for an attack. And the first thing to do is keep calm so you can do the rational thing - look at this, only half of you have your wands out!"

James shook his head in disappointment and tilted his head toward the seats, "Well? Sit down."

The danger gone, the class erupted in excited titters as everyone tried to convince everyone else that they hadn't been frightened in the least.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other and Hermione immediately let go of his arm, sniffing disdainfully as she sat down with the other girls.

Lily walked into the class and smiled, "I see it went well."

James grinned, "Fairly - no one had a heart attack I hope?"

The class giggled, thoroughly impressed by the Potters.

"Good - " James continued, "I'm Professor Potter, and this is my wife, Professor Evans-Potter. First things first, there will be no pranks, games, or tricks played in this class by any of you. Because I will be doing those, thank you very much, for you see, I am the King of pranks –"

Lily snorted.

James ignored her, "And any prank will not only result in a loss of two points but also having a prank three times as worse played back onto you. As Harry can tell you, a James scorned is a James ... uh ... well ... um ... "

Lily rolled her eyes, "Right James, Anyhow shall we begin? How about everyone's names first? From the left please, what's your name dear?"

"Morgana Detroit ... "

Ron nudged Harry, "Brilliant! Simply Brilliant - your parents are!"

Harry grinned, "Yeah - they are, aren't they?"

* * *

**T**he only other class the Gryffindors had on their second day back was the new elective, Ancient Magiks which was taught by Professor Lupin.

Harry had beamed as Lupin entered and had been rewarded by a grin as Lupin took his seat behind the large mahogany teacher's desk. Ancient Magiks proved to be very interesting indeed, as it dealt with investigations of olden forms of magic and enchantments which would prove to be useful in the battle against Voldemort. The deatheaters tended to ignore ancient magics, preferring fast and quick methods. Just as he had done with DADD in Harry's original reality, Lupin made every class interesting and exciting, resulting in everyone being hard pressed to pick a favourite between him and the Potters.

The next two weeks passed quickly and was consumed by tons of schoolwork and Quidditch training. Every night Harry would go to the Quidditch pitch and practice with the set the Weasleys had given him for his birthday until his muscles ached with exhaustion. Ethan and Draco joined him often and Harry soon found that he could no longer imagine life without his little brother or even without Malfoy as an annoying friend.

Because of the amount of time put into practice, thoughts of learning more about this world became a secondary priority for the time being. Dumbledore promised that once tryouts were over he would fill Harry in on anything he wanted to know.

Ron had sent his mother a letter hinting of his consideration to try out and was justly rewarded in the form of a sizzling howler being dropped on his plate the next day, letting everyone at breakfast know that Ron Weasley was "not allowed to join anything until his marks skyrocketed" else he be forced to "live in the garden!".

Finally, as if the day would never come, the morning of tryouts dawned and Oliver Wood greeted the bleary-eyed contestants at the ungodly hour of 6AM outside Hogwarts. They were transported to an off school Quidditch pitch to make sure that all players were equally proficient at playing on any pitch condition not only their school 's.

The full house teams were not present. Only the chasers from Hufflepuff had shown up, Slytherin and Ravenclaw were both missing a chaser and a beater and Gryffindor was down by two chasers and their keeper (Ron, Angelina and the never-been-replaced Oliver).

Bagman was late as usual and appeared once Oliver had painstakingly taken down all the names.

"Okay," Oliver began, shooting a dirty look Bagman, "This is how it's going to be. We have three seekers trying out, eight chasers, two keepers, and four beaters. Today is going to be long - so get prepared. First we've prepared an obstacle course to get through. You'll each go through separately. Then we'll separate into two sections - Seekers with Beaters, and Chasers with Keepers. We'll be taking FOUR chasers for the team, so during games we may alternate. We'll be watching you all work and at the end of the day, you'll know our decision. Right then, anyone want to volunteer to go first?"

One Ravenclaw chaser, a boy, strutted forward. "I will."

Oliver nodded toward a fenced off area, "Follow me then. I'll explain everything once we're there, the rest of you - sit down. And if you aren't picked, don't feel bad, after all this sport isn't fun, it's for LIFE, and second best doesn't CUT it! So if you aren't flawless, you won't get on the team." He smiled as if his words had been the most reassuring in the world and dragged the Ravenclaw chaser off to the fenced area.

Harry, Ethan, Draco, and Fred and George made a small circle. Feeling a little awkward since Draco was his rival once more - Harry fingered the Weather Wonderful Clip Draco had given him.

"Er - if you'd like, I could take this off, unfair advantage over you - " Harry began, cursing his internal righteousness.

Draco grinned, "What for? I'm trying for Chaser, not Seeker."

Harry relaxed, "Oh, excellent!"

Ethan however, scowled, "What?"

Draco wiggled his eyebrows at Ethan, "That's right Ethan, and I may just knock you off your broom!"

"Shut up, you git!"

* * *

**O**ne by one everyone got up to undergo the challenge. Those who had completed it were kept separate from those who had yet to go. Fred and George went fourth and fifth respectively. By then Harry was pins and so when the question was raised, jumped at the chance to be the seventh to go. He followed Oliver stiffly as they made their way into the fenced area.

Harry's mouth dropped. He had been expecting some type of miniature hedge maze that he'd have to fly through. Instead, there was a complex maze made up of interlocking tubes complete with a rather large beast stomping around to the far North. Harry recognized it as the type of monster his father had acted as in an illusion: A fireeater.

"Uh…" He turned wide eyes upon his former captain. Oliver clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Harry, since you're up for the seeker - your job is this - you gotta get through the maze as fast as possible, around the monster's head - a Fire eater, is a golden snitch. Grab it!... Ideally at no point should your feet hit the ground."

Grimly, Harry nodded and mounted his Sunfire. "Uh, just for future reference Oliver, usually when you say 'Don't worry', you follow it up by saying something comforting, not: There's a monster, don't fall."

Oliver ignored his comment,"Ready? ... Go!"

Harry kicked off and entered the open tube. The passageway was narrow and Harry realised that he didn't have much room to work with. He shot through the tubes, and almost lammed into a wall while taking a sharp right. The wind roared in his ears as he began to panic: he was probably taking to long ... Resolve hardening, Harry put on a burst of speed and swerving past a growth of twisting Bitingvines he came to patch of tubes where he had to fly sideways to get through them. Knocking his head against the clear wall at one point, Harry bit back a howl of pain.

He had to win this.

Finally he reached the open area where the Fire eater was. It growled and launched at him, but Harry made a quick swerve upward. He circled it frantically trying to see where the golden snitch was hovering. The Fire eater leapt at him, causing Harry to jump in shock, losing temporary control of his broom.

"Damn it!"

Then suddenly, a glint of golden ... it was next to the Fire eater's ear.

"Bloody freaking hell!" Harry growled and in a sudden burst of recklessness, dived straight for it. As he neared it, Harry cursed himself for his Gryffindor disregard for danger. Arm out, he quickly closed his hand around the snitch as its wings beat futilely against his fingers. Swerving up, Harry's moment of euphoria was cut short as a piercing pain shot through his leg. Harry cried out but managed to stay on his broom until he shakily flew over to Oliver. Thumping him on the back, Oliver helped him down off the broom.

"Jolly good show, Harry! I wouldn't have expected any less -!"

"Thanks Oliver - " Harry winced, "But I seem to have a slight case of a huge bleeding gash on my leg!"

"Right! Oh, Right!" Oliver sprang to life, he braced Harry around the shoulder and helped him hobble to where Bagman was waiting. "Ludo'll fix that up for you. It's only a slight cut, no fears!"

Harry smiled at the reassurance and turned around to see that his "Slight cut" had left a shimmering trail of red behind him. Bagman smiled at him, "Ah, Harry Potter, how pleasant to meet you once again! I'll get that fixed up in no time ... "

* * *

**T**he day was long and difficult as the players were pushed through rigorous activities to prove themselves worthy of being on the school team. Most everyone had suffered an injury at the hands of the Fire eater (which had pleased Harry to know as it hadn't given him a disadvantage). The mock games went off without a hitch. Harry had caught the snitch twice. Unfortunately, in their third game, the Slytherin seeker, Blaise Zambini had shoved Harry off his broom. Although his friends had convinced him that Oliver noticed the dirty play, Harry couldn't help but feel nervous.

Once the games were complete, Ludo accompanied one of the Ravenclaw Chasers home (she had taken a nasty fall from her broom) while Oliver looked over both his and Bagman's notes. After a few minutes of deliberation, Oliver called everyone together in the center of the Quidditch pitch to announce the team members.

Harry nervously moved his broom from hand to hand, grinning when he saw that Ethan had the same nervous habit.

Oliver scanned the occupants of the room. "Okay - here it comes ... Everyone did really well, but we had to choose so ... For the position of keeper, Elizabeth Bletchly from Slytherin!"

Bletchley let out a whoop of triumph and in a demonstration of excitement mounted her broom and circled everyone once.

Wood rolled his eyes, "For position of beaters - not like this was any surprise, Fred and George Weasley of Gryffindor!"

The twins smiled similar grins and let out a shout of happiness.

Wood grinned, "Chasers, alright, Daphne Wyndham from Ravenclaw! Jakob Nott from Hufflepuff! Ethan Potter from Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin!"

Ethan gave a shout of glee and grabbed his brother in a hug while Draco just smiled vaguely.

"And finally, for the position of Seeker ..." Oliver looked around.

Harry clenched his fists.

"Harry Potter from Gryffindor!"

His heart soared as he was immediately suffocated by his friends in a group hug. Barely aware of the other players' saddened sighs, Harry was elated! Nothing could ruin this moment!

"Right then - we'll be on our way. Members of the teams please meet with me afterward."

Suddenly the pitch darkened. Harry's head snapped up as he saw a dark shaped cloud hovering over the field. In an instant he reached out to find his little brother and clamped a hand on the boy's shoulder. There were few gasps and mumbles of panic.

Something stirred in him and Harry turned to face the left and froze. Ice ran through his body at the sight which face him.

From the shadows came hulking cloaked figures.

"Oh shit." Harry gasped.

It was the Deatheaters.

**TO BE CONTINUED ...**

**Deatheaters!** Will someone die? Will Harry play the hero? What about Draco and his death-eater ties? All this and more NEXT CHAPTER! **Question to you the reader: **If you were Harry would you take back the wish? What do you think Harry should do if given the choice?

**Thanks for Reading!**


	11. Potter vs Malfoy

**Author's Note (2012)**: A lot of you might not be aware that a few years ago when webcomics were the in thing, I ran a popular Harry Potter comic called The Potterites. For a Christmas special that year I drew a small little cartoon of Harry with his parents and in a homage to this story (for those of you remember the Christmas chapter) Harry was wearing dorky Christmas PJ's. I recently edited the image to include Ethan and you can see it on my profile page as well as the COVER for this story! What do you think!

In terms of changes, the entire Lucius and Draco confrontation has been almost completely rewritten.

So glad to have a lovely welcome back! It's been super motivating! Please remember to review :)

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 11**

**Potter vs. Malfoy**

* * *

**I**t was like something out of a nightmare.

The hulking shadows slowly emerged from the darkness, hoods down and standing tall. After taking a few steps they stopped and stood still, reminding Harry of a pack of wolves surveying their prey on those wildlife shows Dudley used to watch (To get pointers on the best way to beat people, no doubt).

The confused chatter of the others around them had Harry realising with frightening intensity that he was the only one to have noticed them. Memories of his last encounter with deatheaters still ringing through his mind, Harry grabbed Fred's shoulder. "Stay here. Don't move. There are deatheaters by the hoops. Take care of Ethan."

He could almost feel Fred's startled expression, "WHAT?"

There was no time to answer, Harry was already racing toward the center of the crowd, blood pounding in his temples. Should he whisper to everyone? Should he shout? His vocal cords had already made the decision for him as Harry hollered, "DEATH EATERS BY THE HOOPS!"

The world exploded.

Everyone began to scream and scramble for escape. Harry was pushed roughly to aside but there was no time to hesitate so he quickly made his way back to his friends.

The raspy holler of one of the deatheaters echoed through the field, "GO, NOW!"

Harry grabbed Ethan's arm, pulling him toward the forested area to their right, "Come on! Hurry!"

The five boys flew through the field, stopping only once they were in the cover of the trees. Shouts and screams scattered the air from the direction of the open field. Harry felt his chest tighten with fear as he clutched his brother tight.

The five formed a small circle behind a bush. Fred cast a tiny lighting spell so that only the tip of his wand was illuminated. It was barely enough to make out eachother's faces, but small enough that no one would be able to see it from far away.

Draco looked dark as he glanced at Harry. "Scared, Harry? You shouldn't have yelled like that you know, they would have taken their time in getting close, we could have made a silent getaway. You shouldn't let your emotion cloud your judgement."

Harry's face hardened. He had already regretted his decision and Draco's smug reprimand was too much to bear. His heart was thudding so hard in his chest that Harry was certain it would burst right out of his body. "Shut the hell up, Malfoy! But, you should know though, shouldn't you? Hey, how come you're not out there with your Dad, anyway?"

He didn't even see Malfoy's fist coming, but it caught him square in the jaw. Harry stumbled backward and, as his eyes had adjusted to the dark, saw the cold fury on Draco's face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Draco demanded, "You know, you know that-" He looked at a loss for words, but Harry was too charged with fear to talk rationally and instead attacked him, shoving the blonde to the ground and punching him in the face.. He was about to haul back for a second punch when Fred grabbed Harry around the shoulders and pulled him off.

"Stop it, both of you!" Fred hissed as George helped Draco up.

Draco glared at Harry, wiping away the blood dripping from his lip.

An odd look came on Draco's face as he looked at them, his gray eyes flickering rapidly. "You know what, I'll find somewhere else to hide. Obviously, Potter doesn't want me here."

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Harry pressed his fingers on the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Draco, don't." Ethan began but Draco shook his head, moving to the opening of the trees.

"You know, I thought we were friends." He disappeared back into the open field.

Fred let go of Harry and immediately rounded on him, "Why the hell did you say that for? After everything that happened, that's what you say?"

The initial rush gone, Harry quickly cooled down. Obviously something big had happened that had allowed Draco entrance into his group of friends. It was stupid of him to let old hatreds get in the way of current time. "I … I don't know."

From outside the forest came a flash of green light. The group of four froze.

Harry made a move, but George intercepted, "Where do you think you're going?"

He dropped his broom down, and pulled out his wand, "To find Draco." He glanced at Ethan, "You stay here - No, Ethan, Fred, don't stop me. I have to."

Squaring his shoulders, Harry walked out of the forest ready for battle. He squinted, trying to make out where everyone was. Breathing slowly, he tried to make himself unafraid. After all, he had faced Voldemort himself and lived, the deatheaters were small fries in comparison. Nonetheless, the stirring of fear continued to twist painfully inside his stomach.

Harry kept walking until her heard voices.

"So tell me, did you get on the team or are you just a failure in Quidditch like in everything else?"

"Father, get away from me-" Draco's voice was panicked, "I swear, I hold no ideals about you anymore. I _will_ attack."

There was the sound of scuffling, a sickening thud and Draco being pushed to the ground.

"I don't know who you're kidding boy. You couldn't hurt me before, you can't now. Do you know why that is? Because you **know **you don't belong Draco. You have been such a disappointment, and I don't know why you think you'll do any better on the light side. You are my son, my blood runs in your veins, you can never escape that. The fact that you tried though," Lucius paused angrily, "- You worthless piece of shit – I should have beat you more when you were a child. My mistake, let me make up for it now. _Crucio!_"

Harry felt chills go down his back as Draco's shouts of pain echoed through the air. He doubled over as the memory of the Cruciatus Curse flooded over him. For a moment he was again in the graveyard, Cedric's body nearby, the pain piercing every inch of his body. Voldemort's laughter was so loud he could even hear it over his own screams…

Clenching his fists so tightly that his palms stung, Harry shook himself out of the memory and ran toward the sound of Draco's hollers.

"Lumos!" He shouted and the area blossomed into light revealing Lucius in deatheater garb standing over his tortured son. It was like a twisted, rotated mirror image. "Expelliarmus!" Red light blasted Lucius' wand away.

"Leave him alone!"

Draco, choking on air, eyes tightly screwed up in pain, tried to sit up.

Lucius also turned, his sneer cementing itself on its face. "Ah, Potter. Haven't you done enough as it is? It was you and your mudblood friends who ruined the relationship between my son and I."

"No actually, I believe it may have been your charming personality, father." Draco coughed from the ground.

Lucius' face darkened, "You will keep your mouth shut!" He turned to kick Draco, but Harry quickly intercepted, casting a blinding hex. Lucius froze and Harry reached out to help Draco up.

Still blinded, Lucius made a move to attack Harry but Draco, fully composed now, pushed past him and shoved his father back. He brandished his wand at his father, but a moment passed and still nothing was said.

Harry glanced at Draco's face which was pale and unsure. He lifted his own wand, but by then it was too late – Lucius growled and vanished with a faint *pop*.

Draco dropped his head toward the ground. "I should have-"

"It's okay, Draco, he's your Dad." Harry tried to comfort his friend.

Draco looked back up, his eyes as hard as steel. "Whatever, Potter. Thanks for helping."

"Harry," Harry stated, looking at Draco firmly, "My best friends call me Harry."

Draco returned his glance for a long moment before smiling faintly, "Yeah." He twirled his wand, "Fancy being a hero, Harry?"

Harry nodded, reaching down and picking Lucius' wand off the ground. He quickly pocketed it. "Just another day in our lives. Let's get the others first."

* * *

**S**tumbling back to where the twins and Ethan were waiting, their audience jumped to their feet once they saw Harry and Draco.

"Come on, I think everyone's moved off the pitch. We have to go help them." Harry commanded, having regained his faith in himself.

George eyed Draco. "Are you okay?"

The blonde had leaned against a tree trunk, his face drawn. "Yeah, Father just decided it was time for disciplinary action. I … I just need a second."

In the dim light of Fred's wand, Harry saw that Draco's hands were still shaking. Not wanting to bring attention to that, he glanced at Ethan. "Stay behind me, okay?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, "Harry, now is not the time to baby me."

Harry smiled weakly, "You are the baby brother, aren't you? I'm serious, Ethan. Stay. Behind. Me."

Fred and George brandished their wands. "Let's go."

With backs straight, brooms in one hand and a wand in the other, the five moved out onto the field. There was an eerie quiet as they walked through the field. Two deatheaters were on the ground groaning in pain. The five boys shot into action with body binds being thrown from all sides along with various blinding, stiffening and confusion hexes.

Leaving the disabled deatheaters, Ethan turned to Harry, "How many were there?"

Harry shrugged, "Maybe about ten? Malfoy is gone, so are the two back there…that leaves seven maybe."

Draco spoke suddenly, "You don't think…I mean, have there been any bodies?"

They drew to a halt. "Okay," Ethan decided, "We need light. If we all cast Lumos we should be able to light the pitch."

In compliance, they all cast Lumos and blinked as the field blossomed in dim light. George let out a yell and ran toward two bodies. Harry felt his heart freeze.

But…they weren't bodies. They were live people. Karen Meanie, the Ravenclaw Seeker and someone from Hufflepuff. Harry grinned, "You're okay!"

The Hufflepuff smiled, "Yeah - We got attacked by some body bind curse ..."

It was then that Harry became distinctly aware of the sounds of shouts from the obstacle course area. He looked at the group critically, "I don't think we can take them all-"

"You won't need to." Remus said firmly as he appeared behind them with James and Mundungus Fletcher in a series of gentle pops.

James gathered his sons into a tight hug, "God, I thought- Shit, I'm so glad you're both okay." His sentiment was short lived as his face immediately hardened, "Right, we'll need your help."

Harry glanced at the brooms in the hands of the other wizards, "Why do you have your brooms?"

James barely glanced at Harry, his eyes fixated in the direction of the obstacle course. "Air attack. How many are there?"

Harry shrugged, "I think possibly ten. Two are over there," He pointed toward the two frozen deatheaters, "and Lucius Malfoy was here but he's gone."

James shot a look toward Draco, "You okay? What'd he do?"

Draco shrugged weakly, "Yeah - just the Cruciatus Curse." Feeling everyone's eyes trained on him, he shrugged again, this time uncomfortably, "I'm okay, I've survived it before-"

Remus reached out and gripped Draco's shoulder for a solid moment. Mounting his own broom, he motioned for the others to follow suit. "Kids - you stay out of danger as much as possible, okay?"

Harry and Ethan mounted their Sunfires and shot into the air while Malfoy followed on his Firebolt and the twins on their Cleansweeps.

As one unit they flew over the pitch and toward the course. Oliver Wood was circling the air, shooting curses at the deatheaters who were approaching the kids on the ground. The remaining kids were also muttered curses and hexes at an alarming speed in an attempt to keep the deatheaters at a far enough distance so that they could not cast the killing curse.

Harry noticed that far away from them, the body of a boy - the Hufflepuff chaser who had made the team - lay unmoving. Mundungus Fletcher shot a blast of green light at the deatheater who was about to Avada Kedavra Oliver all the way to Heaven. He fell down, and Harry quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to know if Mundungus had killed him.

James was flying madly around the remaining five deatheaters, stopping only to shoot an Ignatious curse at the closest one. Immediately the man found himself in a body shaped cage of fire.

Remus threw disarming spells at the remaining and collected three wands in his hand at once. Harry grinned and as Remus flew down to attack, he tossed the wands to Ethan who snapped them in half.

"DAD!" Ethan's cry rang through Harry's ears as he saw the last armed deatheater point their wand at James. The beginning of a green light formed at the tip. Wind roared in Harry's ears, as everything slowed down to the pivotal moment.

_...Take Harry and run ... _

_... The dark shape of his father as the door slammed open in a blast of white light ... _

"**NO**!" A strange red light emitted from Harry and shot toward the deatheaters, engulfing them. When the light cleared the deatheaters lay still.

The other kids let out a roar of relief and came running out toward the Aurors as they landed. Feeling sick, Harry moved over to the deatheaters he had attacked. "Are they ... dead?"

Mundungus who had flew down to check, shook his head, "No - knocked out, though. That was amazing, Harry. I've heard about your wandless magic - fantastic."

James grabbed his son in a hug, "Thanks, son." Then, noticing the way Harry was shaking, grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Harry nodded, trying desperately to stop his hands from trembling, "Yeah ..."

Ethan landed quickly and ran over to Harry and James. "Bloody Hell!"

"Language!" James warned.

Ethan shrugged off the reprimand and stared at his big brother in amazement, "You rock!"

Harry blushed, feeling rather overwhelmed as the twins starts a chant of: Harry! Harry! Harry!

Oliver landed and was soon congratulated by everyone for keeping cool and keeping the others safe. He shrugged nervously, for once shy in the face of his accomplishments.

Mundungus, meanwhile brought over the body of the dead Hufflepuff.

The crowd went quiet, and the third Hufflepuff chaser, a girl, burst into tears. "His name is Jakob Nott. He's only in third year!"

Mundungus frowned, "Alfred Nott's son?"

The girl nodded weakly, "He ... renounced his Deatheater heritage a few months ago and now ... now ... the man who did it apparated out ..."

Draco ducked his head and moved over to the boy, peering intently at him for a minute, "Nott must have been here and left - those two back there, they were Geoff Smith and Gregor Bear - they are part of his division." He looked down at the boy in regret, "His father probably killed him."

The girl shook her head, "No way! No father would do that!"

_... I think I'll bully father into getting me one ... _

The look on Draco's face made him look very old as he glanced up, "My father would."

And there was silence.

The glassy eyes of Jakob Nott stared up into space, still reflecting a look of loss and betrayal.

* * *

**T**he return trip to Hogwarts was subdued. The cheer and excitement that the students had held in the morning had vanished as quickly as Jakob Nott's life. Upon arrival at Hogwarts, the Quidditch players were bombarded by the other students and teachers. News had reached the school about a Deatheater attack, but no one had been sure what exactly had happened, nor what the body count was.

Lily met them outside the school and hugged her sons so tightly they were sure there would be a few broken ribs. After checking them over, she turned to Draco and hugged him as well. He looked surprised, but gratified as he smiled quietly, "Thanks Aunt Lily." Before they could go anywhere, McGonagall, hurried and furious rushed to them and held both Harry and Ethan close to her, checking them over twice to make sure they were intact.

When they entered Hogwarts, Hermione had thrown herself at the five in tears, while Ron, misty-eyed, grabbed his best friend and brothers in a hug.

Parvati, sobbing, had buried her face in Draco's chest and the two stood wrapped in eachother's arms for a long time.

Harry was pushed from person to person, each of whom either hugged him or cried on him.

The next few days were hazy as the student body, lost in grief, simply floated through their daily tasks. The Hufflepuffs were in mourning for their lost brother, and Harry tried his best to keep both images of Jakob Nott out of his mind, as well as the nagging memory of the last time he remembered the Hufflepuffs losing a member. Dumbledore, looking drawn had given tribute to the young, brave boy whose defiance of the dark side had sent him to heaven. Nonetheless, it did little to leaven the atmosphere of depression that lay heavily upon Hogwarts' shoulders.

It was well into the end of September as Harry lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He had desperately wanted to talk to his Great-Grandfather but Dumbledore had been extremely busy with talking to parents, and adding new fortifications to Hogwarts. Harry, Ethan, the twins and Draco had all been given honorary awards for their help in the Deatheater attack, but a small piece of glowing parchment couldn't soothe the images that they still had. Classes had been cancelled for almost a week, but though he had had all the time in the world, Harry couldn't bring himself to make the effort to learn more about the world since the last week had been especially hard for Harry as dreams of his old life continually haunted him. This coupled with his stress of feeling guilty over every bad thing that happened in this new world left him on edge and completely burnt out. Sliding out of bed, a solution came to mind. Hogsmeade had sold Sleep Sticks, soft candies that gave their eater sweet dreams. He had restrained himself from going to Madam Pomprey or anyone else, since he didn't want to bring on questions. Unsure of when the first Hogsmeade trip would be, Harry opened his trunk and carefully hauled out the invisibility cloak (He had been pleased to find it still in his possession before coming back to school). Slipping it over his head, Harry made the familiar trek to the humped one-eyed witch. Going through the motions, he slipped through the hump and slid down, not stopping for a break until he tumbled into the basement of Honeydukes.

Once in the top floor of Honeydukes, Harry was surprised to find the place deserted and boarded up. Stumbling over a chair, Harry let out a groan as a stabbing pain ascended up his leg. As he struggled to right himself, he froze once he heard voices from outside the building.

"We lost two today!" A raspy voice shouted and Harry heard the distinct noise of glass shattering and murmurs of agreement by many others.

"That little Potter Bastard - of course!" Came the familiar silky ring of Lucius' Malfoy, "As usual. He and his little brat are always getting in the way. When we crashed the Quidditch tryouts - I was so close to getting my Son back for his betrayal. The little bitch even had the gall to mock me! He was such a good kid - I was so sure he'd become a proud pureblood like me, but instead he's become another of Dumbledore's little lapdogs because of that ... " He spat, "Potter's influence."

If Harry didn't know better, he could almost hear a tinge of loss in Lucius's voice.

"You said it, Lucius. That day wasn't such a loss though, _my _worthless spawn learnt a nice lesson." The man paused, "You should've seen his face when I grabbed him and took of my mask. 'Da!' he said, 'Don't do this!" There came the laughter of drunken men. The man chuckled and continued, "It was worth it just to see the look on his face when he saw the Green light rushing toward him."

_Alfred Nott. _

Harry's lips drew back from his mouth, and if had been a dog he would have been snarling at the door. To hear someone talk so excitedly about killing their own child - it was so disgusting ... so monstrous ... _so_ like a deatheater.

The voices drifted away so that Harry could no longer hear what they were saying. Realising his idea to come to Hogsmeade had been a mistake, Harry quickly righted himself and made his way back downstairs. Hearing voices again, Harry quickly sped up. What would he do if the deatheaters came into the store? Panicking he stumbled, crawled and ran his way back into the depths of Hogwarts. His mind was so filled with thoughts he could barely remember the trip back until he climbed out of the statue's hump, pulling the invisibility cloak off as he stepped into the hallway.

Safe.

A strong hand descended on Harry's shoulder.

"Got you."

**TO BE CONTINUED ... **

So, **who's got Harry**? What's up with Hogsmeade being closed? **What happened** between Draco and his father? The game between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons is coming up ... will Harry be able to play after this encounter with whoever has gotten hold of him? All this and MORE! NEXT CHAPTER!

**IMPORTANT: **Please remember to check out our cover page and let me know your thoughts on it! Also, one thoughtful reviewer indicated a song that they thought fit this story very well. This has led me to considering making a playlist for the story. **Is there a particular song you think would fit well? Please let me know as I would love contributions! :D**

**Please remember to REVIEW! I always reply :)**


	12. Crime & Punishment

Enjoy the chapter! Please remember to take the time to review :)

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 12 **

**Crime & Punishment**

* * *

**H**arry's heart stopped beating. Thousands of possibilities flooded his mind within the split second after the hand had descended onto his shoulder. Had a Death Eater followed him here? The morbid notion spread over him with alarming speed.

He was going to die.

He was going to die and he would be the cause of everyone _else_ in the school dying as well ...and ...

He was whirled around roughly only to be faced with his father. Immediately relaxing, Harry laughed softly. "Dad! Blimey, I thought you were like a Death Eater or something, and I was- " He trailed off as he saw the look on his father's face.

It was common knowledge that James Potter was the coolest father anyone could ever hope to have. His face usually had a mischievous grin or conspiratorial smirk splashed across it. He was young, laid back and the self proclaimed King of Pranks.

_This_ James Potter however, wore neither smirk nor grin. His dark eyes were cold and his mouth was drawn in a thin line. In short, he looked livid.

"Dad ...?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"What exactly did you think you were doing?" James began dangerously, his voice filled with the silkiness that Snape's had the moment before he unleashed the horrors of his  
temper upon a student.

"Erm - " Harry glanced around unsure, "I ... I went to Hogsmeade ... I wanted to get some sleep sticks..."

James' jaw set and his eyes blazed, hands wrapping around Harry's shoulders. "Hogsmeade? What the HELL WERE YOU THINKING, HARRY?!" He shook his son hard, "Are you absolutely mad?!

"Dad!" Harry flinched, his teeth rattling at the shaking. In all the time they had spent together he had not once heard his father raise his voice to him. There was a distraught feeling overtaking him and he pushed at his Father's arms, trying to get away.

A painting of a young princess frowned, "Shh! You may wake someone up!" She clucked her tongue disapprovingly at James before shaking her finger at Harry.

Looking extremely angry, James barely glanced at the portrait before his grip on Harry's arm tightened and he pulled him down the hallway.

"Ow! Dad! You're hurting my arm!" Harry tried his best not to wail, but failed. His chest became stuffed with the knowledge that his father was terribly angry at him. Having not grown up with his parents, this understanding unsettled him for he hadn't wanted to disappoint James ever. Vaguely, Harry wondered where his father was taking him. Surely, James wouldn't wallop him here in school?

His father paid no attention to him until they reached a familiar stone statue of a gargoyle.

"Lolly Licks." James said grimly and the Gargoyle hopped out the way. Dragging Harry up the stairs to Dumbledore's office, he pushed him abruptly into a chair opposite the Headmaster's desk. "Granddad!" He called loudly, "Poppa!"

From behind an archway a wall shifted, revealing a hidden door and a surprised Dumbledore appeared, comfortable-looking in purple night clothes, "James? - Harry?"

A muscle in James' cheek tightened, "Granddad - he went to HOGSMEADE! By himself! Just snuck out and ..." He breathed slowly, "I'm too angry to deal with him now. I might ... I don't know - I need you to -"

Harry sat mutely, looking down at his hands. The look on James' face clearly stated that if Harry had been a couple years younger he would already have had a trip over his father's knee and would be probably due another one.

Dumbledore took the news with a grave frown and moved behind his desk to sit. "It's all right James, I understand. Harry?"

Harry glanced up nervously. " ... yes?"

"What you did was incredibly dangerous - "

"And stupid!" James added, pacing the room.

"First, wandering around after dark is strictly forbidden in the first place. Leaving school grounds at night is even worse! This was irresponsible and selfish of you - what were you _thinking_?" Harry spared a glance at Dumbledore's face and internally recoiled at the anger he saw present.

"Or were you even thinking at all?" James commented sharply.

"I.. I ... don't know ..."

"That's simply not good enough, Harry! Hogsmeade? Why would you even attempt to go there? You very well know that the Death Eaters visit there, this is not some kind of fun prank or adventure, you could have been killed - or **worse**!"

"I raised you better than that Harry, did you go temporarily INSANE or something? I have half a mind to kill you myself!" James shouted.

Harry could barely contain it anymore. Having not grown up with his parents, he didn't have the automatic ability most children had to take their love for granted. As such, seeing his father so angry with him shook him at his core. He felt the want to throw himself on the floor and beg forgiveness. "DAD! God, I'm SORRY! I didn't…I didn't remember!" Traitorous tears welled in his eyes at the scolding and Harry was well aware that his voice had become stuffed and heavy with emotion.

"You didn't REMEMBER? Hell, do you have any idea what you put me through when I saw you weren't on the Marauder's Map? ANY BLOODY IDEA? Honestly, Harry, this was the most irresponsible thing you've EVER done! What if your mother found out? Or if a Deatheater had followed you back here? DAMNIT!" James' hand flew through the air, hitting the drywall of Dumbledore's office with a thud.

Panicked, Harry looked at Dumbledore for help and saw the dawning realisation in the old man's eyes. His Great-Grandfather tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Your Father is correct, Harry. A suitable punishment must be given. I understand you've been grieving Jakob, but that is no reason for your behavior."

Dumbledore's provision of an explanation seemed to slightly calm the simmering rage inside his father. James stilled his angry pacing and held out his hand, "The cloak, Harry."

Harry froze, and clutched the cloak to him. The soft material pooled familiar around his fingers. "But, Dad ...I didn't even go into Hogsmeade! I sort of realised last minuted and I came right back-" He trailed off at the look on his Father's face - one which clearly told him it was in his best interest to keep quiet - and sadly handed over the invisibility cloak to James.

"You will not be getting this back, Harry. Not until you can prove that I can trust you." James said firmly and Harry kept his eyes glued to the floor in penance.

Dumbledore nodded, "This is a family matter, Harry, but also a school one. I will not deduct points, but you will serve three weeks of detentions here with me. It will wait until the match with Beauxbatons, but immediately afterward I expect you here."

Glancing at James, Dumbledore nodded, "He _has_ been through a lot the last few months, James. His actions were reprehensible but it has been a hard time for all the students. Perhaps we give him a little leeway-"

"Thanks Granddad, I'll keep that in mind. Come on," He said, crooking his finger at Harry, "You're going back to Gryffindor Tower."

Together, father and son walked in silence to the dorms. James was still angry, Harry could both sense it and couldn't bear it. Stopping, he looked at his father, "Dad - I'm so sorry. Please believe me, I really am!" Those same tears burned at his eyes as Harry felt a type of frantic need to confirm that his Father still loved him.

James looked at his son carefully before softening, "I know. Maybe it's my fault, I've raised you be a little hellion - always telling you stories about the Marauders. Times were a lot different then, Harry -"

"No, I know that! It's not... I just ... I was a real idiot. Please don't hate me, Dad."

James raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Hate you? Come on, Pronglet, you know I love you - nothing could change that. Hell, I'd die for you."

Harry froze.

_...Take Harry and Run!... _

"Harry?"

Harry shook his head, "Yeah, Dad?"

His father looked at him strangely, "You just blanked out there ..."

"Oh, I just feel...out of it."

"Hm." James studied his son's face, "Well, I'd die for you but that doesn't mean I won't _kill_ you if you pull something like this again. I mean it, Harry! You know my rules about second offenses."

Harry flushed, taking it to mean that he should definitely remember to stay in line. James was bloody scary when he was mad! "Yes, Sir! Are...are you going to tell Mum?"

James made a face, "Yeah, well...a watered down version at least." His father glanced down as Harry absently rubbed at his sore arm. "Is your arm alright? I might've been too rough..."

Harry shrugged, "It's okay. Really."

Taking his son by the shoulders, James leaned down to make eye contact. "Harry, I know things have been hard for you. It has been awful, but you must try your best to keep your head straight, do you understand? You cannot go putting yourself in danger. You are the most important thing to us and I need you to keep yourself safe. Can you promise me that?"

"I promise, Dad." Harry shifted uncomfortably, "I...I love you."

The elder Potter smiled fondly before pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead, "I love you too. Now go to bed and we won't speak of it again."

The Fat Lady dabbed her eyes, "Family is wonderful." She chirped, choking back a sob.

Harry grinned as he said the password (Choo-Choo Chugs) and climbed inside the portrait hole, "Yeah - Isn't it?"

* * *

**T**he next morning Harry was shaken awake. Tired beyond belief, he pushed the person's hands away and turned to the side, burying his face into the downy softness of his pillow.

"Potter! If you don't wake up this instant, I'll bean you with my broom!"

Harry groaned.

Oliver was back and as brutal as ever.

"Empty threats." He managed to mumble through his almost closed mouth, followed by, "G'way! I'm sleepy!"

In an instant, Harry found himself on the floor, rubbing his bottom. Oliver stood on the opposite side of the bed holding the untucked bed sheets he had pulled in order to send Harry flying of his bed.

"Sorry, Potter. This is all strictly business. Get up, get dressed and get ready for _Quidditch_!" Oliver nodded fiercely and stomped out of the dorm room.

Harry sighed and took a moment to breath, feeling very sorry indeed for having his sleep disturbed.

"Harry!" Came Seamus's groggy voice, "Make sure you wake up on time from now on. If Wood disturbs me one more time, I'm going to actually kill you."

Harry rolled his eyes, mumbling under his breath, "Then why not sleep in one of your numerous' girlfriends' room, hmm, Seamus?"

"I heard that, Harry! The moment I'm not so sleepy, you are so dead, not only that, but -"

"SHUT **UP** Seamus!" Dean and Ron roared, two pillows soaring into the air of the dorm room to land on Seamus' hapless body.

And through it all, Neville continued to snore.

* * *

**R**ubbing his eyes, Harry tried desperately to stay awake to hear what Oliver was droning on about. Bagman was absent for an undisclosed reason (Harry figured that Oliver had just "forgotten" to tell Bagman about the first practice) and Oliver was already tightening the reigns around the team.

"Malfoy!" Oliver's shout sent Harry tumbling from his thoughts.

Draco, looking bored as he slouched in between Harry and Fred's seats, drawled, "What?"

The Quidditch Captain looked scandalized at Draco's tone, "Bloody hell! Pay attention! This isn't the place to read a love note!"

A tinge of red flashed across Draco's face and he crumpled up the piece of parchment he had been reading, "It's not a love note!" But Harry had seen the loopy handwriting of Parvati on the parchment, and grinned.

"Really? Well, give it here, then." Oliver commanded, the Scottish lilt to his voice taking a dangerous pitch.

Draco made a face, his nose sticking up in the air, "Uh, yeah, right."

"Malfoy, it's up to you how easy I'll be on you. This time is for _practice_ not for fooling around."

Draco rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth, "Really, Wood, Quidditch isn't -"

Harry shook his head fiercely, whispering quickly as he nudged the Slytherin in the side, "No, don't say it. Don't say it."

"... everything." Draco finished, shooting an annoyed look at the boy-who-lived.

Oliver ballooned in fury, "**WHAT!"**

Fred lay a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder, "You poor, poor, fool."

"FIFTY LAPS! NOW!"

"You've got to be kidding -" Draco shut his mouth as he saw the dangerous glint in Oliver's eye. "Er, yessir!"

And he shot into the air.

"Nice tyrannical tendencies, there. We're ..." Fred began.

" - Glad to see that you're still unbelievably scary, Oliver." George finished cheerfully.

"Thanks." Oliver said shortly, eyes trained like a hawk on poor Draco who was nothing but a green blur circling the field, "Come on, Malfoy! Hurry the pace up, or I'll make it a HUNDRED!"

* * *

**Q**uidditch practice consisted of Oliver pushing the players until they were falling off their brooms. He had already implemented a strict schedule which consisted of practice, food, school and _practice_. Upon realizing there was no section for sleep, Harry had innocently pointed that out with a smile and was consequently forced to join Draco for twenty extra laps.

The young Potter groaned as he stretched out on the couch opposite the fireplace in Gryffindor tower. After a satisfying dinner, he and his brother had come upstairs to relax while Fred and George snuck into Oliver's temporary residence at the school to cause some damage. Harry looked over to his right where his brother lay, fast asleep. A fond smile crossed Harry's face as he looked at Ethan. It was hard to believe that he had been so against the idea of a brother in the beginning. The youngest Potter looked quite innocent in his sleep, his face void of all emotion or stress. The flames reflected across his face, darkening his hair so much that Harry was taken back by the resemblance between them. His little miniature me. Harry smiled, feeling a sudden rush of brotherly love.

His brother.

He had a brother! A mother! A father!

Mum, Dad.

Those words had never escaped his mouth in reference to a living person. In all the commotion of the past two months ... had it really _only_ been two months? It seemed longer than that. In fact, Harry could barely remember how it felt without having his family. What was it like - not having his mother to hug him, his father to ruffle his hair and Ethan to punch him in the back (and then run before Harry could catch him and beat on him in retaliation)?

It must have been cold.

Ethan turned over in his sleep, one foot shoving painfully into the elder brother's side. Harry absently slapped the foot away, relishing the heat that was building on his face from the fire.

He really didn't like the cold.

* * *

**T**he Hogwarts Quidditch team continued to practice hard as excitement mounted. The first game they would play would be against Beauxbatons. The atmosphere of despair over Jakob Nott's death was slowly relieved by the school spirit to win. Teachers themselves were prone to bursts of excitement - James Potter in particular who spent at least five minutes per class rallying the students to support the team. Lupin also (despite his self control), had spent two of his Ancient Magiks class talking about what the outcome of the Tournament would be. Surprisingly, McGonagall was also pepped up for the upcoming game, not even minding when Harry had fallen asleep while transfiguring a chocolate bar into a grandfather clock.

The morning of October 24th dawned brightly, the skies were clear and the weather was tinged with a slight, sharp wind. The match was held on Hogwarts grounds, and the French students had arrived the night before. Harry had been at practice and had yet to meet any members of the other school's student body.

Feeling sick as he stared at his breakfast, Harry prodded at a piece of bacon as his friends chattered excitedly around him. Ron had been in a dark mood for a while after bearing witness to the excitement that mounted steadily as the first match grew nearer and having been unable to participate because of his less than perfect marks. Hermione's patronizing look whenever Ron spoke of the subject didn't help much. Yet, he had come bounding down to breakfast filled with excitement as he slammed Harry on the back, causing Harry to choke on his orange juice. "Cheer up, Harry!" Ron scolded, "You look like you're about to die!"

Hermione nodded her affirmative, "Ron's right, Harry! Don't be so glum."

Ethan was in a similar, jittery mood as he glanced over at the trio, having already shredded his piece of bacon into tiny pieces. "I don't think you two understand how awful this is-"

"What if I fall off my broom" Harry voiced, "I mean this games sets up the entire tournament! If I don't catch the snitch then I secure our position as losers!" Harry was beginning to panic and Ron, realizing his mistake of bringing the topic up, quickly tried to calm his friend down.

"Nervous, Harry?" Aishwarya Lawton's voice came from behind him as she slid into the free seat to his right, "Don't be, you're a wonderful Seeker!"

The girl was pretty and Harry felt better at her assurance. "Thanks-" He grinned widely, a flirtasious side to him coming out, "As long you're cheering for me, I'll be alright -" The doors to the Great Hall opened and the Beauxbatons players entered the hall, Madame Maxime swept up to the teacher's table and captured Hagrid in a kiss. Meanwhile, the Beauxbatons seeker, having spied Harry made her way toward him.

Aishwarya was saying something, but Harry's attention was now focused on his pretty opponent. "Uh, yeah-" He mumbled disinterestedly, standing as the girl approached and missing the accepting hurt look on his classmate's face.

The other seeker stuck her hand out, "Hello, Harry Potter."

"Hello, Cho Chang."

* * *

**C**ho had been surprised that he had known who she was but Harry had smoothly chalked it up to research about his opponents. They had a brief talk and by the time she had left, Harry had been feeling a little giddy, Aishwarya had left and Hermione was giving him a disapproving look.

None of that mattered at the moment however, as Harry was 50 feet in the air, waiting for the Quaffle to be released. Draco was playing center, sneering at his direct opponent. Oliver was waiting in the sidelines, glaring at his team with a type of mad pride. Bagman was commentating, his eyes trained on the pitch in severe concentration.

The bludgers and snitch were released (the latter flirtatiously danced around Harry's nose before vanishing) and then, up in the air came the Quaffle and ...

"THEY'RE OFF! Malfoy currently in possession of the Quaffle ... throws to Wyndham, watch that Bludger! DeFrit intercepts, there goes the Quaffle into the air ...annnnddd ... CAUGHT! By Young Mr. Potter! He swerves past DeFrit and Lacrie, my, that was a daring move ... and ... HE SCORES! TEN POINTS FOR HOGWARTS!"

Harry's jaw dropped as he saw exactly how smoothly Ethan played when in the middle of a game. The kid was a natural! Ethan pumped a fist in the air before circling the field and ducking a bludger. Harry pulled his eyes away from the others and focused on the skies, looking for that glittering snitch.

"MALFOY SCORES! HOGWARTS are now leading TWENTY TO ZERO!"

Draco grinned proudly and did a lap around the field, smiling arrogantly at the screaming crowd.

Harry rolled his eyes, then yelped as a speeding Bludger narrowly missed his arm.

"Johansen swipes that Bludger at Potter, but misses ... what's this, ah, Mr. Weasley getting ready to slam it back ... OUCH! There goes Johansen, off the field!"

Harry grinned maliciously and shot a thumbs up at Fred before circling the field, keeping a close eye on Cho.

"Beauxbatons SCORES!" Bagman announced, sounding slightly deflated as DeFrit slammed the Quaffle past Bletchly. "Oh ... Bletchly tosses to Malfoy, who throws it to Potter, back to Malfoy - over to Wyndham. Lacrie tries to intercept, Weasley hits that Bludger away from Wyndham - ouch, grazed Lacrie ... HOGWARTS SCORES thanks to young Potter! 30 to 10, Hogwarts in the lead, Beauxbatons in possession ..."

Harry then glanced over at Cho, who seemed to be moving very awkwardly downward. He squinted, and realized she was trying to reach the snitch which was hovering somewhere below her. Throwing caution to the wind, Harry flattened himself over his broom and shot forward. Cho saw what he was doing and put on her own burst of energy.

_Damn_ ... she had the advantage ... the only way was to ...

Harry kicked his feet back and shot directly toward Cho who gave a tiny scream and swerved upward.

"Daring move by Potter there, what's this? He's ..."

The snitch dived downward, and Cho followed. Harry tried to quickly turn his broom and dive in the opposite angle at the same time, but instead of doing so, lost his balance and fell of his broom, which dropped to a few inches beneath the snitch.

Harry was barely aware of Bagman's frantic shouts as he dangled from his broom one fist clamped tightly around its handle. Instead, he was focused on the fluttering golden ball, which Cho was just about to ...

Harry swung himself upward, his muscles straining under the pressure as his Sunfire shuddered under the unevenly placed weight, and closed his hand around the Snitch.

The crowd went mad and Ludo Bagman, discarding all formalities aside, screamed, "YES! HARRY POTTER CATCHES THE SNITCH! HOGWARTS WINS BY 170 POINTS!"

George zoomed by and boosted Harry onto his broom where he was immediately piled upon by his entire team, pushing his broom down toward the ground. In a daze, Harry stared starrily at the sky, the snitch still in his outstretched fist.

As they landed what seemed to be the entire student body came shrieking toward them. The applause was thunderous and Harry grinned so hard he was sure his face would break. He barely made out the faces of all the people who hugged him or praised him, but was able to focus on one in particular, as James Potter pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed his sons in a tight hug, "You made me so bloody proud, boys!"

And _that _was the best praise Harry could ever have received.

* * *

**I**t was an elated team that tramped their way into Great Hall. After a long celebration in which all four houses miraculously mingled together, the houses separated toward their respective areas for further celebration. Draco had bid Harry and the others goodbye as he decided to go back to Slytherin, his arms wrapped possessively over Parvati.

Back in Gryffindor tower, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan revealed their plan. They had managed to smuggle alcohol into Hogwarts in order to throw a huge celebration party. Third years and younger were banned from consumption, and having narrowly made the cut off, Ethan was elated. As the older students waited as the twins left to retrieve the alcohol, Lee pushed Harry upstairs with strict orders to retrieve a Gryffindor banner.

Grumbling, Harry had searched the entire 5th year boy's Gryffindor dorm to no avail, when he finally remembered that his mother had used one banner to line the inside of his trunk. Kneeling beside the large oak chest, he slowly slid open the lid and began to dig through its contents. Grabbing an arm load of books that he had shoved in before coming to Hogwarts (Unsure of what he would or wouldn't need), Harry proceeded to dig through piles of clothes, games, items and other novelties. Finally, he grasped the red silk banner and hauled it out of the chest. Satisfied, he tossed everything back in. As he began to place the books back in, Harry's hand lingered on a small gray book. It was plain and blank. Curiosity piqued, he turned it over in his hands and caught the small, shimmering engraving in its spine:

_Journal_

He quickly flicked it open, but frowned once he saw it was blank. A small ball of dread grew in his stomach. Almost frantically, as his mind began to go into overdrive, he stumbled over to his bedside desk and grabbed a quill, flicking a small piece of ink onto the book.

The ink was absorbed into the journal's white pages.

The ball of dread grew bigger.

In messy, nervous writing, Harry wrote:

_Hello?_

The ink was absorbed and then reappeared:

_Why are you reading this?_

Harry bit his lip, "_Who are you?"_

The ink disappeared and it was tense moment before it reappeared, glittering in the dull light of the dorm room.

_Why, Tom Marvolo Riddle, of course._

**To Be Continued ...**

For Old Readers: This Chapter used to have a different title, if anyone can guess it then I'll be placing your name somewhere in a future chapter of the story! :D If anyone has any song ideas for a playlist for this story, please let me know.

**Please remember to REVIEW! I will always respond :)  
**


	13. Memories

**Author's Note: **I had considered removing the diary plot from this chapter as a whole for a few reasons, but for the sake of being true to my original story: it stayed. This chapter has a few changes, including what happened to the diary as well as in the scenes between the kids during their classes.

The previous chapter's name was once:_Trouble & Quidditch._

Please do remember to review. Your feedback and thoughts are what keep an author going :) Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

* * *

**H****arry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 13 **

**Memories**

* * *

**S**tartled, Harry dropped the Diary. For a moment he sat in shock, staring at the seemingly harmless book. This was absolutely unreal - first, Quirrell gave him a nasty reminder of his first encounter with Voldemort (Well, the first encounter he remembered clearly), and now he was in possession of another of Tom Riddle's freaky diaries. With trembling hands he picked the book up once more and reached with one hand for something sharp to plunge through the diary.

But Tom's name had vanished and was instead replaced with more writing :

_Scared, aren't you? That's what you get Ethan, for snooping! Get the hell out of my room before I kick your arse!_

Harry couldn't contain the burst of nervous laughter that escaped him. It was a joke! A booby trap to keep Ethan out of his journal! Impressed at the amount of ability he must have had to create that Marauder Map type protection spell, Harry wrote back, "It's Harry Potter here."

He expected to be engaged in conversation, but only a solitary word came back.

_Password?_

In his typical scrawl, Harry attempted a variety of passwords from "Phoenix" to "Wafflebats" but was unsuccessful. Irritated, he rubbed at his forehead before hearing the twins shouting at him from downstairs. Harry stuffed the journal back into his trunk and shot out of the dorms.

* * *

**O**nce downstairs, he was draped in his Gryffindor banner and paraded around the room like a float alongside the twins. Soon, a wizard radio was blaring through the common room and the twins unearthed their stash of alcohol and food.

"Uh - won't be in big trouble if the professors come in?" Harry asked as Fred shoved a can of beer in his hands, inwardly wondering why no one else's ears seemed to hurt from the volume of the music.

Fred grinned, "Trouble? Come on, they're are probably all celebrating too! Drink up!"

Not reassured at all, Harry sighed and opened the bottle. He took a few large gulps, refreshed by the sweet smelling, slightly bitter taste.

An hour later, the majority of the older students were completely smashed. The common room reeked of the sweet scent of alcohol. As Harry lay reclining on a couch with Ron, Hermione walked over to them, unimpressed.

"Really - this is getting a bit out of hand don't you think?" She said, motioning to Neville Longbottom who was doing a hula dance on the refreshment tables. "Honestly!"

Ron, face flushed as red as his hair, grinned and leaned over to her, "Want to dance?"

Hermione looked scandalized, "Ron Weasley - are you drunk?"

Ron stood, pulling her with him, "I am ... and I really, _really_ want to dance with you."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Still Ron - drinking isn't ..." Hermione trailed off as he pulled her into the middle of the common room, and pressed her so close that their bodies practically melded into eachother. Her protests stopped immediately.

Feeling bored, Harry finished the rest of his third bottle and stood up. Spotting a group of girls near the fireplace he narrowed in on them. Who'd have thought his shyness would have vanished as fast as his soberness?

The next hour was a whirl of dancing and surprisingly, Harry didn't even blush once. After a dance each with Angelina Johnson and Serena Fawcett Harry found Aishwarya Lawton in his arms as a slow song by the Three Wyrd Sisters began to play. Relaxing, he let his arms wrap loosely around her waist as she rested her face on his shoulder. Oddly, he felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had done this before. Harry grinned to himself when he saw Ethan and Ginny dancing together.

The lighting was dim and Harry felt drowsy. His vision became blurry until the whole room was just a collage of sparkling lights and soft shades of red and gold. He could have just about closed his eyes on the girl's shoulders when the peace shattered.

"PROFESSORS!" Katie Bell shrieked, "OUTSIDE! I can hear them!"

There was a mad rush as everyone grabbed their things and booted it up to the dorms. Lee had kept track of all the bottles and food and in a flash the whole bunch vanished.

Harry, half way up the stairs to the Boys' dorms realised he had lost his friends in the crowd. That thought, however, was quickly banished as Harry saw Colin Creevey throw up on the floor.

* * *

**That Night**

"My name is Harry Potter!" **F**our year old Harry introduced cheerfully as he stood being measured for his new robes. "And I'm FIVE Years old, you know!"

The blonde boy next to him looked about nervously and then smiled back tentatively, "I'm …" He put on a significant air and finding he could not raise his hand in greeting (as it was being measured) , stuck his nose in the air, "I mean … I am, Draco Lucius Malfoy. And I'm going to be six in three monds."

"Months." The shop assistant corrected, smiling affectionately at the two boys.

Harry looked over at Draco, wincing when the magical measuring tape accidentally pinched his arm. "Glad to meet you."

Draco surveyed Harry with piercing gray eyes filled with curiosity, "I've never talked to another boy my size before."

Harry cocked his head to the side, "Really?"

"Really." Draco nodded, affirming the sad truth. After a short pause, he proposed, "Will you be my best friend?"

Harry grinned, "Okay."

"Draco!" A cold voice snapped and a tall man with blonde hair strode into the shop, a silver tipped cane held threateningly in his right hand.

Harry watched in interest as his new best friend froze, silver eyes darkening as he tried in vain to stand taller. The blonde man walked over to the pair briskly and waited until the measuring tapes fell to the floor before he lifted Draco up into his arms for a brief moment before placing him down on the ground.

Harry stood unsure on his step stool when the man rounded on him, eyes fixating on the small scar he knew was above his eyebrows.

"And who is this …?" A eerie smile crossed his face, "Mr. Potter, I presume?"

Harry shrunk back, "Yes …"

"Lucius!" James snapped angrily, having just walked back into the store after a brief stint next door to pick up a gift for Lily's birthday. "Keep your distance from my son!"

"Daddy!" Harry began but trailed off as he saw the glare his father was sending to the blonde man. Emerald eyes moved over to his new best friend who looked a little pale and nervous.

Lucius appraised the other man coolly, "Calm down, child. I was just speaking to him."

"A word from _your_ mouth Lucius, is worse than a knife wound from a beggar." James snapped, walking briskly over to his son. "I prefer my son to not keep company with a future Azkaban inmate."

Lucius sneered, "Oh Potter, that old thing? How long have you been clinging to that-"

"Don't you know, Malfoy? I'm persistent. The noose might take sometime, but on my word, it will tighten."

Lucius sneered, lifting the cane as if he wanted to hit someone. Glaring at his son, he snapped, "Come, Draco. We'll be off." Draco nodded nervously and with a small smile at Harry walked off with his father, stumbling slightly as Lucius pushed him roughly in front of him, dropping a few sickles at the front desk.

James glared at the back of the blonde and also passed a few sickles to the shop assistant. "Come along, Harry."

Harry lingered, trying to catch a look at where Draco was going through the window.

"Harry!"

Nodding, Harry skittered to his father's side. Wondering if he had been naughty, he tugged at his father's pants. "Daddy? Am I in trouble?"

James looked down at his son and lifting him into his arms, shook his head. "No, Pronglet. You're fine. That was a very bad man, though, I want you to be careful if you ever see him again."

Harry nodded as he buried his face into his father's shoulder, small hands closing about the dark fabric of his shirt. Having decided that the blonde man was Draco's Daddy and now knowing that the man wasn't very nice, Harry came to the conclusion that Draco would be his best friend and he would find him a better Daddy.

* * *

**H**arry woke up feeling awfully confused as he rolled around in his bed, clutching his head.

"Oh God!" He gasped, feeling like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his forehead. His throat felt parched and his entire body ached. As he slid off his bed, moaning like Myrtle, Harry's mind briefly lingered on the dream he had that night.

Strangely enough, it hadn't felt like a dream, but rather … a _memory_?

* * *

**A**t breakfast, Harry and Hermione sat eating silently. Ron, the lucky fool, got to sleep in as he had a spare that morning. Harry, on the other hand, had no salvation from class and was forced to attend with both the throbbing headache and terrible nausea that constituted as a hang over.

Hermione carefully buttered her toast as she nodded at Harry, "Oh, Harry – It's such a pity you missed out on the last prefect meeting! We talked about some very intriguing issues, I even brought up the treatment of house elves. You know, how we should be careful to pick up after ourselves to give them less work!"

Harry grinned into his bowl of porridge and nodded. "Hermione - I've missed you." Harry laughed, realising how much he had missed his best friend's chatter.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione went misty eyed, "I've missed you too! I mean, we've been so busy ... you seem to be spending alot of time with Draco and Parvati and your family ... Ron and I were talking about it two nights ago after patrol."

"After patrol?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Hermione flushed suddenly and looked down, "Just talking ... after patrol ..."

"Where?"

"What do you mean where?"

"Where were you talking?" Harry grinned as Hermione fidgeted.

"Uh ... Well ... Oh gee, we're going to be late for Ancient Magik!" Hermione stood quickly, lifted her huge brown bag with a grunt and hurried by so fast that Harry didn't even realise what had happened until he saw her bushy brown hair disappear out of the Great Hall.

Shaking his head with laughter, the Gryffindor stood and spooned in one final mouthful of porridge before heading to class.

Seeing Hermione glance over at him nervously as he entered the classroom, Harry eyed her knowingly and sniggered once she gave him a horrified look and turned away.

"Potter!" Draco motioned him over.

"Yeah?" Harry slid into the vacant seat beside Draco.

"What's up with Hermione? She's been blushing since she came in here."

Harry grinned, "I think her and Ron'll have something going on pretty soon."

Draco rolled his eyes and stretched his legs out, "You think? Merlin, it took you long enough. There was a very solid reason to why I always called her 'weasel's girlfriend."

"Who's Ron's girlfriend?" Parvati asked as she appeared and took the seat on the side of the table closest to Draco.

"Hermione." Draco said shortly.

"Oh? That's rather old news though, I was sure they were snogging by now!" Parvati noted, "Although - if they're not secretly doing that already - I'm sure they will be by the Easter Ball."

"Easter Ball?" Harry and Draco chorused at one.

"Yeah! I overheard Mcgonagall and Dumbledore talking about it in the hallway! It's supposed to be a surprise, I think."

Draco looked at his girlfriend, "And how many people have you told?"

Parvati blushed, "Just a couple ..."

Draco gave her a stern look before quirking his lips, "It's really awful, Potter. I have the nosiest girlfriend in all of Hogwarts."

The Indian girl pouted, looking extremely adorable, "Shut up, Dragon! So, thoughts on dates?"

Harry flushed as her eyes trained on him. Damnit, another one of those date functions? God ... he sucked at this kind of thing! "Uh ... no idea... it's so far away! It's not even December yet!"

Draco nudged him in the ribs, "Just point out your scar at any random bird and I'm sure you'll get a date within a day." Then, turning to Parvati he raised an eyebrow, "I would imagine that you'd be going as my date seeing as we _are_ together, Princess."

Parvati eyed him before tilting her nose into the air, "Well, I don't know if we should be, seeing as I'm apparently a nosy cow."

"Hey, I never said cow, but if the shoe fits-" Draco ducked as Parvati chucked a quill at him.

Grinning at Harry as Parvati huffed and turned away, Draco whispered, "A snog after a row is always _way_ hotter."

Harry wondered suddenly if that was what made Ron and Hermione such a good match.

"Good Morning Class!" Professor Lupin greeted as he swept into class in robes of deep blue. Placing his bag onto his desk he grinned cheerfully at everyone. "I suppose you lot had a good time last night? Anyone care for some headache medicine?" Lupin winked at the class. "No? No one wants to ask for some? Pity, I wasn't going to report you to Madame Pomprey, offer's gone now though-"

The class collectively groaned.

Lupin laughed, "First, I trust everyone has their assignments on honing spells complete? I'll come around to collect them -"

As Remus was taking in the assignments, Harry turned to Draco and nudged him. "Oi, I wanted to ask you. Did we meet first in a robes shop?"

Draco gave him a strange look, "Yeah, before we started at Hogwarts?"

"No, I meant, before even that did we _first_ meet in a robe shop?" Harry pressed.

Looking thoughtful as he passed the professor his roll of parchment, Draco nodded, "Yeah, maybe so. We were really little then though, I remember your Dad dropping you off while I was getting measured. Why'd you suddenly think about that?"

Harry shrugged, smiling slightly as Lupin began to lecture.

_It wasn't so much that I thought about it, but that I actually remembered it…_

* * *

**T**he last class of the day was Divination and Parvati, Ron and Harry all traveled to the classroom together after lunch. As they entered the room they sat down together, Ron coughing at the strong scent of mint that engulfed the air.

Once every one had gathered, Trelawney, looking ever the sparking insect, clapped her hands together as she surveyed her class. "Today my children, we will learn to foretell the future!"

Lavender sat up straighter, looking more excited than before. Parvati, on the other, looked bored as she doodled _Parvati Malfoy_ all over a piece of parchment.

"Um, Professor, isn't that what we learn everyday?" Seamus said innocently, earning sniggers from the other students and glares from Lavender and Parvati.

"Yes ... but today my children, today ... " She whirled around dramatically, flinging one pale arm into the air, "Today we will be dealing with a different type of foretelling, one that involves potions!"

Neville squeaked at the mere mention of his most dreaded subject.

"Professor Snape should be here any moment ..."

As if on cue, the door slammed open and Snape walked in holding a smoking bottle of purple liquid. He pushed it into Trelawney's hands and turned around. Spying Harry, he smiled ever so slightly, then quickly glared at Neville who was holding his Quill so tightly it snapped in half.

Trelawney gasped, "Severus! My inner-eye tells me that you will have a horrible encounter with a mentally insane person!"

Snape stopped in his tracks, and looked at Trelawney for a long moment before he drawled, "I think you helped fulfill that prediction." With that, he strode out of the classroom amidst the titters of the students.

Trewlawny frowned, "Whatever does he mean? There is obviously no insane person here!"

Harry had to bite his cheek from laughing.

"Either way, today we'll be dealing with _Prevision Potion_. Once you have prepared your cup's ingredients (the instructions are on your desk), carefully measure the right amount of the potion and pour it inside. The mixture should bubble slightly. You should then stir it very carefully and focus your inner eye to see your imminent future. After about ten minutes, pour the potion out and on the bottom of your cup should be an image which will show you something that will happen to you. Of course children, my inner eye is especially precise, _your_ images will most likely be blurry and foggy, so do not fret too much. Begin!"

The class went by surprisingly quickly and soon Ron was pouring out his potion and frowning into the teacup. "What on Earth?"

"What?" Harry leaned over and peered into the cup only to see a rather strange blob.

Ron screwed his face up, "Some future - a giant blob!"

"Let me see Ron!" Dean said, pulling Ron's cup over, "Hey ... you know ... what does that blob look like ... I mean, it looks like a head, a silhouette, you know?"

"Really? Give it here!" Ron said, grabbing his cup once more. Harry leaned over his shoulder and grinned once he recognized the profile. It was all there, a tiny triangle for a nose, a large frizzy area that represented the hair …

"Ron!" He exclaimed, shaking his shoulder, "Ron! It looks like Hermione!"

"Hermione? Why would Hermione be in my near future?" Ron scoffed, but Harry noticed his ears turned pink.

Soon the class was caught up in looking at eachothers cups and speculating on everyone's future. Aside from Ron's Hermione - Neville had music notes consisting of dashed lines ("Will I be a musician? Maybe I'll marry a musician! Maybe'll it'll be … Oops … Sorry Professor … That's the last teacup I knock over, promise!"), Parvati's was two hands separated by a snake ("Our Romance separated by his house at first, of course. Although, that's the past, isn't it?) and the countless others.

By the end of class, as the students left, Harry realised he hadn't emptied his cup yet. Telling Ron to go on, he began to clear up his workspace. Trelawney smiled at him , "Ah, Harry - I must go and clear my inner eye. Shut the door on your way out, will you? Oh ... and beware the short!"

"Yes, Professor." Harry said demurely, rolling his eyes at her antics.

Clearing his workspace, Harry slowly poured out his cup, feeling rather anxious as he waited in the empty classroom. Once the last of the purple substance was gone, he lifted the cup to his face and gasped. A throbbing pain began in his chest as he quickly washed out the cup, and left the classroom on shaky legs.

He needed to sit down.

For in his cup, the dark mark had glared painfully back at him.

**TO BE CONTINUED ...**

_Is the **Dark Mark **_really in Harry's future? Are his memories from this timeline finally coming back?

This Chapter had a different name before, can anyone remember? Also, I am still collecting song recommendations to place in a playlist for this story! Please let me know your ideas! :D

Please take the time to leave me some motivation in the form of a **review!**


	14. A Mother's Loss

This chapter was the first chapter to be written after OotP came out, but was uninfluenced by the happenings of the book.

This chapter is also the first **INTERLUDE** chapter in this story. It is focused on Lily rather than Harry. A lot of history into the Potter family is provided along with a set up for some very interesting events that will eventually unfold.

Last chapter we had a guessing contest over the original name of Chapter 13! xdiamondsxarexshinyx guessed right! It was **Drinks & Dreams**. She's going to have her name randomly placed at some point in the story, whee!

I also had an anonymous review asking about the Harry pairing in this story. For the most part, there will not be one single Harry pairing. He will have dalliances with a few girls (he is a teenager after all), he **won't** **have a romance** at all - as his story is bigger than that. :)

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 14 (Interlude I)  
**

**A Mother's Loss**

* * *

_The Previous Night_

**L**ily Potter lay in bed, eyes open as she listened to her husband's comfortably patterned breathing. Her hands clasped the deep blue covers closer as she stared morosely up at the ceiling, the soft coos of their owls echoing from the adjoining living room. The laughter and voices from the celebration of their win over Beauxbatons had calmed and everyone had made their way to bed. The clock chimed two and Lily rolled to her side.

She couldn't sleep.

Thoughts were rushing through her head at an alarming speed. Thoughts of Voldemort, of her family and of the ever constant sense of dread she had clawing at her heart. It had been like this for as long as she had been married. The threat of her family being pulled out from underneath her; the threat of losing all that she loved. And if there was anything Lily believed in with her whole heart, it was her love for her family. Yet, it was this very love that kept her awake many nights, worrying and fretting over the three boys in her life.

And it was this love that always took her back thinking about the fourth boy that had been in her life so many years ago.

* * *

**A** young, twenty year old Lily Potter lay reclining on the doctors chair, her legs in a very uncomfortable position as she awaited the entrance of her family doctor.

"James! Don't touch that!" She scolded, causing her husband to abruptly drop the small contraption he was holding.

"Aw, Lil." He pouted childishly, "I was just looking!"

She blew a strand of auburn hair out of her face, "Oh James, honestly! I mean, what kind of example are you going to set for our son?"

"Aha!" James crowed, "our **son**? So you admit it! The Potter genes are going strong!"

Lily laughed at the face he made and shook her head. For the entire course of her pregnancy James had been convinced their child would be a boy. Lily had persistently dashed his dreams, saying it could be either. She did this mainly to both be a foil to her dramatic husband as well as to get the pleasure in seeing his exasperated expressions. In reality, she had always secretly fancied the idea of a brood of mummy-adoring little sons. "It was just easier to say that rather than son - slash - daughter, James! You're impossible!"

"Impossibly handsome, yes." He flirted, leaning over her prone form for a warm kiss which she happily accepted.

"Now you two," Dr. Jacobs boomed jovially as he entered the room, "You already have one on the way, no need to start making another!"

Lily flushed. She still felt like it was taboo to speak of the enjoyment they got out of their marriage. Afterall, they were barely out of their Hogwarts uniforms! Yet, in times of war men and women married young. _They also die young!_ The depressing voice (that sounded an awful lot like her sister) inside her head was quick to remind her. Shaking the dark thoughts away as the Healer set up the needed equipment, Lily turned bright eyes onto the man. Lily had refused any magical testing, very afraid of any potential affects toward the baby. The muggle equipment was familiar to her and in these times of upheaval, familiar was good.

As he began the ultrasound, James clasped his wife's smaller hand in his own as their eyes fixated onto the moving black and white images flashing across the monitor.

"So, I've decided Lil'." James began in an off-hand fashion,"Our son'll be named Alexander."

"Or _Alexis_ if we have a girl." Lily added, smiling at her husband's grimace.

"Planning on more than one, then?" The doctor asked.

"Well …" James looked at Lily.

"Yes. Eventually at least. We figured we'd take turns with naming. James gets the first go. I'd love to have another baby, a boy named Harry after my Grandfather. It's always been a favorite name of mine. I really love the name Ethan as well ... gosh, it's hard. To be honest, I've never really thought about girl names -"

James grinned, triumphant. "I knew it! Lily, we'll have a brood of little Potter boys. I bet we'll have an Alex, Harry AND Ethan!"

Lily scrunched her nose at her husband but her protest was cut off by the Healer's smile. "Well, at least today, you have your Alex." Dr. Jacobs pointed to the screen.

"A boy?" James' eyes were wide behind his glasses, "A boy?! I knew it!" He cheered, dancing around the room.

A boy.

Lily beamed.

* * *

"Hey chubby checker!" **S**irius greeted as he walked into the Potter's kitchen, immediately opening the cupboards in search for food.

Lily groaned, her stomach round and her face flushed with the glow of motherhood. Eight months pregnant and it was the middle of the summer. She was far from feeling beautiful. She was a bloody beached whale. "Sirius …" She warned.

He grinned disarmingly and tossed her a small flower in a peace gesture. "Now, now. Don't be all cross at me! I'm just the best mate who hangs around to provide you boring parents with comic relief."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, with your_ face._" She broke her deadpan as Sirius clutched his heart. The wiz-vision in the room gave a small hum and both occupants turned to see the images that flashed across the scroll. A stern faced wizard broke the news:

"Reports are coming in that You-Know-Who has struck again, Angela Wood, Gryffindor Alum, was found dead in a field near Surrey. Exact circumstances are unknown but no signs of torture have yet been -"

The scroll blanked and Lily and Sirius both looked up at James who had a very hard look on his face. "No need for you to watch that sort of stuff now, Lil. You don't need that weight on your shoulders."

Lily sighed, her eyes already flooded with unshed tears as she thought of Angela Wood, who had been head girl when they had been first years.

"Are you staying, Padfoot?" James asked.

Sirius gave the couple a sad smile, "No, it's almost curfew - I just wanted to let you know that we have Auror training at six tommorrow, not seven."

James nodded, "Yeah. See you later baby-brother!" The fond nickname brought a ghost of a smile to Sirius' handsome face as he vanished.

"Who'd have thought that the tiny weed of a kid I practically adopted as a baby brother at Hogwarts would end up a good few inches taller than me?" James pondered out loud, posing the usual indignant question over Sirius' stature. Lily gave him a look. Talk like this was common among the Marauders: it was an attempt to reaffirm some sense of security and familiarity. This Voldemort character was becoming more and more powerful and it seemed that he was attacking all pureblooded families that refused to join him. James was especially on edge as he and Lily were both heavily involved in the ministry and with his father being the former Minister of Magic, it seemed only time before Voldemort would turn his snake slits onto their fledgling family.

"Come on Lily, how about a rousing game of cuddling accompanied by one of those silly muggle movies you like?"

She made a face at James as he tickled her side. "Alright, Potter – but only if you don't try anything-"

"Don't worry darling, I wouldn't risk you sitting on me-"

"JAMES! You are so dead-" Lily yelled, pushing at her husband as he laughed and ran off into the lounge.

_Oh, Alex, you're going to love your father. _Lily thought, smiling despite herself, a hand caressing her round stomach, _just as I love you more than anything._

* * *

"James! Attack on the ministry!" **T**he patronus had appeared at the Potter's shortly after midnight. James had left in a rush, promising to be back as soon as possible. Alone in their manor, Lily had taken up time by looking through old photo albums, though her stomach churned in worry.

There was a knock on the door and with much difficulty, Lily raised herself up to answer it. As she walked to the door her eyes strayed onto the clock.

2:12A.M.

Curfew was at midnight. It was a poor security precaution, but existed nonetheless. The only people who would drop by were … well, _no one_ would at this time. Both Sirius and James knew how to apparate past the magic shields cast around the house.

Another knock.

Alexander kicked.

Lily began to breathe hard.

A third knock, louder this time.

Alexander kicked again.

"Shh, Alex. It'll be okay sweetie. It's nothing to worry about. Mummy's here. Mummy loves you." She ghosted her hand over her baby bump.

A fourth knock, this time accompanied by murmurs.

"Oh my god." Lily turned and ran to one of the entrances that lead to a secret passageway in the walls of the mansion.

The door was blasted open.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Lily turned. All she saw was the gnarled, twisted face of Voldemort and the rush of green light toward her. The clock next to her fell with a crash as she realised she too was falling, the ground meeting her body with a sickening thud.

Blood was pooling around her. Things were becoming fuzzy.

She always thought the killing curse was supposed to be a clean cut death. Everything hurt though … and so much blood….

"She's not … baby … first …"

"Leave her. She was pregnant." Voldemort started, "A mother."

Was pregnant? No…that was wrong, she thought vaguely, she _is_ pregnant.

"YOU!"

It was James. He would make sure Alex was okay. Their precious, precious Alex.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Voldemort and the death eater accompaniment turned and vanished. The room quickly filled with the voices of others and Lily continued to stare blankly at the ceiling as she felt James next to her. Lights were shimmering all around now, and Lily briefly noticed that her husband had fallen to his knees so quickly that they were surely to be bruised.

"Lily! Oh god, darling! Lily! Lily!"

A shaky hand moved to touch his face. It was covered in her own blood. Why did everything feel so empty? Why wasn't she dead yet?

Why wasn't the baby kicking?

Alex?

Lily turned her head so slightly to see the old clock, shattered. It's hands frozen at 2:58A.M.

"…Alex? …"

2.58 A.M.

It was very fitting that she would be looking down at her son at this moment. Running a hand through Harry's hair, Lily sighed.

That night the killing curse had killed her baby and not her. She had overlooked the fact that the spell kills the first life it comes in contact with. Not realising this and also forgetting that her baby would be the first life the curse would hit, she had turned to face Voldemort that night. And he had died. Her baby had died.

Lily and James had grieved deeply and when months later Harry had been conceived, Lily had been determined to protect him with her life. Just as Alex had saved her life, she would save Harry's.

Her beautiful son. Dead.

And when Harry had been attacked by Voldemort.

God.

She was _always_ not able to help.

His prone body.

The blood gushing from the smooth scar that now adorned his forehead.

Lily shuddered.

Next time, she decided, next time she would sacrifice herself for her sons. For her husband. For Alex.

"I love you Harry-bear." She whispered, kissing his forehead and watching fondly as he stirred, a soft, "Mama?" on his lips.

"Yes, go back to sleep, honey. It's okay."

He was solemnly asleep in moments, and Lily crept out of his dorm to go downstairs and check on her other beloved son, Ethan.

Things were strange now. Harry was acting different and Voldemort was becoming even more aggressive. Things were happening fast.

Lily's heart hardened. She wanted to kill Voldemort. Kill him for what he did to her, to Alex, to James, to Sirius, to their family. She would bide her time, but she would make a difference. All four of them would, in fact.

And if it came to a fight between Voldemort and one of her loved ones?

She'd be in the middle.

What was is that Voldemort had said then, that day of terror so long ago?

"She's a mother."

_Damn straight._

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

Poor dear Alexander Potter. So, what was all that with the** dark mark** in Harry's cup? Is **someone going to die** … and what's up with sacrificial Lily? …. Dum dum dum dum!

Love you guys! **If you are enjoying the story, PLEASE take the time to REVIEW and let me know your thoughts/theories/analyses! It's your feedback that gives me motivation to keep writing!**


	15. Dad & Detention

Author's Note 2012: Big changes in this chapter! On the reread, I noticed that although I had included Occlumency in the re-edit, I had left something unexplained. The new dialogue between Harry and Dumbledore hopes to remedy that. :)

Author's note 2010: Just moved cities for school again so it's a busy time! I do love hearing feedback which pushes me to update faster for sure! ;) No huge plot changes in this chapter, but a lot of dialogue changes between the characters. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 15**

**Dad & Detention**

* * *

**I**t was a much shaken Harry who stumbled his way through the halls of Hogwarts in search of his parents. The shock at seeing the Dark Mark in his cup had created a lingering clump of fear in his stomach. Reaching the deer statue that guarded his parents' chambers, Harry all but shouted, "Star Bright!" and made his way inside. Standing in the circular lounge, Harry gave a trembling shout, "Mum? Dad? Mum! Dad! Are you here?"

Receiving no answer, Harry whirled around frantically. He knew he was behaving a little irrationally but his heart had leapt too far up his throat for him to care. Harry moved over to where his parents' time table was posted on the wall and looking at it; relaxed. They had a class with the 3rd year Ravenclaws at that very moment.

Sighing deeply, Harry sat down on the couch.

He felt absolutely sick.

His chest was clogged with a black ball of dread that was making even the task of thinking very hard. Sliding down so he was lying down, Harry thought to shut his eyes for a moment. His heart was beating quickly and the rush of the last few minutes left him feeling very tired.

Yes, he'd just close his eyes for a moment. A moment …

Before long the distraught boy was fast asleep.

* * *

**That Night...**

**S**ix year old Harry Potter stared in disbelief at the wrecked remains of his first broomstick. The golden trimming of: ABC: My First Broom was buried beneath fans of the splintered wood.

There was a thick silence as everyone watched him nervously.

As of ten minutes ago the day had been absolutely lovely. Harry, his Mummy, Daddy, Papa Padfoot, Uncle Remus, Ethan and his great-great-grandparents had all spent the day at the muggle amusement park: Chessington's World of Adventures. The group of wizards had had a lovely picnic followed by tons of rides. The only sad moment had been when Harry had been subjected to a particularly horrible ride that showcased a monster named Gorge. He had been so afraid he had cried, but, in the end, Papa Padfoot had been there, so it turned out okay.

But then.

**THEN!**

The group had made their way back to Godric's Hollow where the Marauder's bimonthly Quidditch Match had taken place. Harry had even been allowed to fly a little as well. Unfortunately, due to the recent infestation of Featherbuzzes (A group of insects that caused small gusts of winds in their immediate area) in the forest behind Godric's Hollow, the winds had picked up very suddenly. Harry's tiny broom, not meant to be used under such weather conditions, spun out of control. If it hadn't been for Uncle Remus, who snatched Harry off his broom quickly, both the broom and little boy would have crashed into the olden oak that stood majestically in the garden.

But Harry didn't realise his close call.

All that mattered was that his broom was broken.

_Broken!_

And with that thought, tears filled Harry's eyes and he let out an ear shattering wail. Fat tears rained down his cheeks as he stood in the middle of the crowd, sobbing to the sky over the injustice of it all.

"There, there, Harry. It's okay; I'll buy you a new one!" Sirius told him desperately as he patted Harry on the back.

"NO!" Little Harry continued to cry loudly, "I love it! I LOVE IT!"

Everyone winced at that loud proclamation and Lily turned pleading eyes to Dumbledore. "Oh! Can't you possibly fix it?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "My dear, look at it, splintered beyond repair. I honestly don't think that there's any spell that -" He trailed off as Harry let out another loud wail.

Still sobbing, little Harry didn't notice his baby brother walk up to him.

Four year old Ethan tugged on Harry's shirt softly, "Don't cry, Harry! Don't!"

Harry paid no heed to his little brother and continued to wail, his tiny face slowly turning red as tears made a pathetic trail down his cheeks.

Ethan's bottom lip trembled.

"Don't _cry_, Harry! DON'T!" Ethan wailed, looking panicked as he stared up at his big brother. "Please? It's better now! See!"

A strange red light pooled around Ethan's small body. Lily moved forward in an attempt to stop whatever was happening.

The red light jumped from Ethan to the broom and in an instant the broom was back in one piece.

Little Harry, at his brother proclamation, opened his eyes. "Ethan! You fixed it!"

Filled with the unimaginable joy that only a child could produce over such an item, Harry ran over to the broom. He hugged it closely before turning around and lifting his brother into the air with some degree of difficulty. Peppering the other small child with kisses, Harry squealed, "You're the best brother _ever!_ What would I do without out you?"

The broom lay forgotten for the time being as Harry and his brother giggled and laughed. Pleased to have each other in a world that could be so nasty at times.

* * *

**H**arry awoke in his parents' spare bedroom. He was tunnelled deep within flannel sheets and the room was dim. Standing up he sought out the door and walked out into the main room.

"Awake, Sleepyhead?" James greeted from his place on the sofa, a thick leather bound book spread in his lap.

Still sleepy, Harry nodded weakly and rubbed his eyes.

His father laughed, "You were out like a light when I got in. Had to carry you all the way to the spare bedroom, I did! I'll tell you this, Harry when you're out you're out." James grinned, "Just like your Mum. The two of you literally go comatose when you're sleeping. Wish I could be like that, such a nice sleep you must have."

Harry grinned, feeling very loved at the idea that his father had taken the time to carry him in order to make him comfortable. Harry ran a hand through his messy hair. He had caught his father messing his own hair up a lot on purpose, and Harry had begun to adopt the habit as one of his own as well.

Just then his father coughed roughly as he stood, "Well I best be off, teachers meeting and all. Absolute boredom ahead, and all of it with this splitting headache too!" At that Harry became alarmingly aware of the reason why he had visited his parents. He leapt forward and grabbed his father's sleeve, "What's wrong?"

James looked at his son strangely and patted Harry's hair, "Nothing. Just a touch of the 24 hour bug." Then catching his son's chin, he examined his face, "What's wrong with you? Did something happen?"

Harry blinked, "I ... Sort of ... In Divination we had this thing that told your future ... and ... I looked in my tea cup and it looked like a dark mark!" Harry looked up at his father through large, emerald eyes expecting a violent reaction from him.

James raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Harry, come on, after that fiasco in fourth year where Trelawney told you that you were going to die? Really - the only reason we don't mind you taking that course is ... well ... because every son of mine deserves a free ride through school!"

"But, Dad!" Harry protested, only to receive a gentle pat on the head.

"Harry. Don't worry, Trelawney's predictions are absolute nonsense ... would I _ever_ let anything happen to my family?"

"No ... But ..."

"But nothing. Now go and dungbomb the Slytherins. I mean it, Harry! Stop worrying, you're a kid, enjoy it!"

Harry managed a smile and nodded, grabbing a bunch of cookies from the kitchenette before leaving. Ignoring the fact that it was technically his own prediction and not Trelawney's "Nonsense", Harry let himself be comforted by his father's words. Divination sucked.

Meanwhile, the dungbomb idea seemed appealing ... he'd have to talk to the twins about that.

* * *

**H**arry made his way back to Gryffindor tower. Slipping inside the portrait hole, he collapsed dramatically on a plush embroidered sofa, his hands raking through the strands of black hair that fell across his forehead.

Ron looked up at Harry, and with a deft swipe of his left hand had his knight chop down Seamus' queen. Amidst Seamus' howl of frustration, Ron tossed Harry a dinner roll and sausages wrapped up in a large napkin.

"There you go, then. Where were you? Missing dinner and all? Fred and George put Canary creams in the Slytherins' supper buns. You should have seen it! They're getting told off by McGonagall right now."

Harry grinned, "No joke? Where's Hermione?"

Ron absently moved a rook before replying, "Err, she's up in the dormitory doing some homework with Parvati."

Pulling his jumper off, Harry nodded, "Oh, right. UGH!"

Ethan had walked up to the group and sat down right on Harry's stomach, grinning. Receiving a shove and a slap upside the head for his trouble, Ethan laughed and moved over to the other end of the couch.

"You little monster!" Harry grumbled.

"Calm down, big monster." Ethan returned, "What are you doing here? I thought you have detention with the Headmaster tonight?"

"Hmm?" Harry said distractedly, then sat up abruptly, slapping a hand against his forehead, "Bugger! You're right!" He got to his feet and dashed to the portrait hole, knocking over the chess board that Ron and Seamus were playing on.

"HARRY!" Ron groaned.

"Ha! Tie!" Seamus crowed.

"It was not! I was clearly winning! You only had your king, a knight and two castles left!"

"Yes, my boy, but I could have made a quick comeback! TIE! Hey, you lot! I TIED RON WEASLEY IN CHESS!"

**"SEAMUS!"**

And that was the last thing Harry heard before the fat lady's painting swung shut behind him.

* * *

**H**aving run up the circular staircase to Dumbledore's office, Harry, breathing heavily, supported himself with one arm against a wall as he addressed the elder man. "Sorry, Prof…Er, Poppa, I didn't realise I was late"

Professor Dumbledore smiled serenely and offered the candy dish to Harry, "Don't worry about it my child. Lemon Drop?"

Still catching his breath, Harry waved his hand to dismiss the need for candy. "Thanks, though." He rasped.

His great Grandfather peered at Harry over his crescent moon glasses as the boy took a seat in front of his great mahogany desk.

Folding his spidery hands, Dumbledore leaned forward. "Well, Harry. I'm very sorry that it has taken this long for us to be able to sit down and talk about the rather unique situation we find ourselves in at the moment. I trust that your father still thinks this time is spent as a detention for sneaking out?"

Harry nodded.

Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle for a moment, "Now Harry, I must impose on you the seriousness of what you did." Seeing Harry's mouth open to begin a rebuttal, Dumbledore shook his head, "No, no. I'm aware that you didn't realise Hogsmeade was a dangerous area. Regardless of that, sneaking out in the middle of the night is a very dangerous thing to do anyway! Especially for a young boy. I know you've been through a lot, but you are still a child. _Our_ child. And you can't be taking on these undercover operations any more. Furthermore, you have to realise that this world may be very different from its original form and as such you have to hold yourself accordingly. Harmless actions in the world you remember may be suicide in what the world is now. Do you understand me, young man?"

Harry bowed his head, well scolded, "Yes Poppa."

The twinkle resurfaced with a vengeance, "Well then! Now I may stop being a stern old coot. It doesn't suit me."

Harry grinned. "I've been having dreams the last few days." He admitted, excitedly.

"Oh?" There was a strange look in Dumbledore's eyes, "Oh what?"

"Of memories!" Harry blurted, having started to look forward to the memories that spilled through his subconscious. "I dreamt about being at Diagon Alley as a kid ... and then one of my birthdays-"

"Ah!" Was that relief in Dumbledore's face? "Yes, of course. Why, I suspect you'll find those memories bleeding more and more into your consciousness as time goes by. We simply must find a way to unlock them."

"If I do unlock them," The boy began slowly, "Will that mean my memories of the other world will be gone?"

Dumbledore wiped his glasses with a cloth as he thought, "To be quite honest with you, Harry, I certainly do not know for sure. There has been very few documented wishes on such a large scale as yours and so no tale of a precedent being set." Sliding his glasses back on, his spider like fingers tapped against his desk. "This actually leads into a thought I had had. I'm assuming that you haven't yet heard of Occlumency?"

From Harry's blank look, the boy assumed Dumbledore would understand.

"...I see. Do you remember the spell I cast the day you visited? It is a spell used to read a wizard's mind. Very strong magic and a very effective tool. There is defensive magic against it, but it takes a great deal of effort to master. Both you and your brother learned at the hand of Severus and myself when you were younger. It is something you must learn in order to protect yourself against Voldemort. After classes, during your detention times, you will come here and watch your lessons from my pensieve. I am hoping it will trigger your innate understanding of the magic so you will still be able to utilise it."

Confused, Harry frowned. "Can you not just teach me again?"

"No. Doing so will allow your teacher access to your mind, Severus shall not be privy to your displacement."

"I know, but what about you-"

"-The next while is very busy for me, Harry." Dumbledore cut him off quickly, "So I would like you to learn and try and remember. I will test you when you are ready."

Harry was taken off guard. He had thought the plan was for Dumbledore to be present at all his 'detentions' to allow him a chance to understand the world. He was about to argue his case when something in the air made him think better of it. A bit confused at why the sudden change in plan occurred he simply nodded.

"Good. Well, then, I still have some time this evening. I'm open to everything you have to ask." Dumbledore continued on, "Excluding, of course, anything which may get me in trouble with your mother."

Biting his bottom lip, Harry paused for a moment, deep in thought. "Well, I suppose you could explain how Snape became frineds with my parents?"

Dumbledore gave a loud laugh before settling back down, the twinkle in his eyes going mad as it danced about. "Oh my dear boy. I was sure you were going to pose political, demanding questions – "

Harry reddened, "Oh! I mean, well, I am, but …"

"But you're a young boy and you still have that exuberance. I love you all the more for it."

Ducking his head, Harry smiled at the affection. "Poppa …" he laughed.

"Okay, okay, enough of my ramblings. As you remember, _Professor_ Snape, I take it, still dislikes the Potters and everyone associated with them?"

Harry nodded vehemently.

"Severus and your father were mortal enemies in school. They fought, hexed and hated each other above and beyond any rivalry that I have seen in my years at Hogwarts. That is, of course, excluding the simmering amount of dislike that was also between your godfather and Severus. Sirius and Severus had been friends in childhood, both coming from extremely dark families."

Harry jerked forward. "What? Dark families? SIRIUS?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly, "I'm afraid it's true. Pureblood families always tend to have a speckling of darkness in them. It comes automatically with the ideals upheld in olden days. My cousin" His eyes grew dim, his voice tinged with affection and sadness, "Alastrine Dumbledore married into the Black family. Their eldest son was placed in Slytherin and wound up becoming classmates with Tom Riddle. Orion Black and Tom Riddle got on well. A bad sign if there ever was one. I warned my nephew many times, but he never heeded me. Soon Black was a name that was thought of by most with fear. All branches of that side of our family soon became emerged in the dark arts."

Harry shook his head in wonder.

Dumbledore's voice became soft and thoughtful, "It wasn't until a little bundle of Gryffindor pride was born into the Black family that things began to change. Sirius was a shining light of hope in my eyes. Now, Severus came from a similar background and the families were well acquainted. Severus however, began to embrace the dark arts and earned Sirius' scorn and hate by the time they entered Hogwarts. As it was, there was an endless rivalry between your father and godfather and professor Snape."

Popping another Lemon Drop, Dumbledore smiled grimly.

"It all happened on October 31st, when you were just past a year old. Your parents were protected by a Fidelius charm and had left you in the care of a friend. They weren't being careless, mind you. Voldemort was making advances in various places. Your parents had work to do for myself and had to travel to France to do so."

Dumbledore chuckled darkly when he spoke of the other country.

"Voldemort had been targeting you and so he attacked you that night. His curse rebounded and left him close to death for years. You, on the other hand were left bleeding and defenseless. Severus had heard rumours of there being an attack and had decided to drop into to see if everything was okay. Officials had arrived at the scene of the crime, but were unable to find you – a tiny, unconscious baby lost in the half collapsed house. It was Severus who found you. He took you to safety and it is very much thanks to him that you are still here. You were in the hospital for months. My, we almost lost you."

Harry was taken back by how turbid the emotions were in the headmaster's eyes.

"Oh, wow. But …"

"Why is he on good terms with the family? I'll tell you, Harry, both you and your brother were perfect examples of children. Holding you in his arms that night; Severus could do nothing but love you. He worried about you, that tiny, hurt baby, and began to care for you more than he could help. Your parents and Sirius were so grateful to him they extended olive branches and he took them. Granted, it's been awhile, but you can clearly see that he is a part of our extended family now."

Very embarrassed at the idea that Snape might love him like a son, Harry reddened. After a moment, he shrugged it off. It was nice to have adults who cared about him. It was nice to have this extended family. It was nice to be wanted. Nice to be loved.

Dumbledore was watching his great grandson with interest. The emotions played across his face quite quickly, and the headmaster felt his heart ache as he realised that the world that Harry remembered must not have been so kind to him.

His mind working, Harry thought back to the poster that had been in his room in Godric's Hollow. "Actually, another question! Err … About Dad - what exactly does he do? I mean, he's a professor now but I have a poster of him playing Quidditch …"

Dumbledore's eyes grew bright with pride, "Oh yes. Actually Harry, your Dad has had quite an interesting length of careers. He's an auror – a wizard who fights against the dark arts. Do you …?"

Harry nodded his understanding of the profession.

"Good. Your father, Remus and Sirius trained as Aurors after school. They were just finishing their training when you were attacked. A few years later, when relative peace occurred, and Auror duties were not as intensive, your father pursued a career on the National British Quidditch team. He was a Chaser for 11 years until the games were suspended three years ago due to being easy targets for Deatheater attacks. Of course, Sirius and your father could never be apart. He played Beater for six out of those 11 years. Amazing players. You take after those two in that. With those genes in the family, you were born for the skies."

Harry smiled brightly, comforted by the comparison with Sirius, "Really?"

"Really. Both your father and Sirius took great care in teaching you Quidditch. So did Grandmama."

Harry blinked, "Grandmama?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled, "You don't know who that is?"

Taking a guess, Harry leaned forward, "Umm? Your wife?"

Smiling serenely, Dumbledore nodded," Well, she is my wife. But your Step Great Grandmother. My darling Driana died," His eyes dulled, "before her time. Shortly after you were born, I remarried my dearest friend whose husband had been killed in the war with Grindelwald. I believe you call her Professor McGonagall?"

Harry's jaw dropped. "Professor McGonagall?"

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling like mad, "You call her Grandmama, Harry. It would be in your best interest to remember that. Lucky we caught that in time, is it not my son?"

"Yeah …" Harry said vaguely, his mind spinning. Too many shocks were not good for him. So Professor McGonagall had taught him Quidditch! Harry remembered the look of pride on her face when she first saw him fly, and the secret smile she sent him when his first broom had arrived in first year. His heart warmed.

"Wow. That's great!" Harry cheered, hitting his hands of the professor's desk. "This is great! I LOVE my family!"

Dumbledore let out a loud laugh at his great grandson's excitement.

After a few moments, the headmaster looked up at the golden clock on the wall. "Now Harry, it's getting a little late. I think it would be best if you go off to bed."

A sudden yawn escaped the boy's lips and Harry nodded, getting up. On impulse he reached across the desk and hugged Dumbledore around the neck.

"Thanks Poppa!"

"No problem, my child."

Harry was about to step out into the staircase when a thought occurred to him. Whirling on his heels, his robes ruffling, Harry looked at his Grandfather.

"By the way, Poppa. The friend I was with when Voldemort attacked me; who was it?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes lost their twinkle and became dull. His beard seemed to droop. "Oh Harry. He was a great man, a good friend to your parents and a hero."

He paused and Harry felt his heart tense.

"His name was Peter Pettigrew."

**TO BE CONTINUED …**

Peter **Pettigrew**? A **Hero**? (But the author **HATES** him!) Is there a **hidden twist** involved? What's up with the **Dark Mark**? Why's Harry **dreaming** about the **past** he never lived? All this and MORE **Next Chapter**!

I'm still taking SONG RECOMMENDATIONS for this story's soundtrack! Let me know!

And, if you're going to take the time to add this story to your alerts, **REVIEW and let me know your thoughts! I reply to every signed review!**


	16. Hallo Halloween

Author's Notes: Yay! A new chapter! Time has been a little hectic with back to school and everything, but I look forward to reading all your lovely reviews! And don't forget to keep giving song choices for our playlist :D

**WE ARE REACHING 1000 REVIEWS! Whoot! Thank you so much!  
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* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 16**

**Hallo Halloween**

* * *

"WHAT?" **H**arry burst out, his head beginning to hurt.

His Great-Great-Grandfather looked surprised, "Yes, Harry, Peter Pettigrew. He was friends with your parents –"

"I know _that_!" Harry snapped fiercely.

"Harry!" Dumbledore reprimanded, quietening him immediately. "What's gotten into you?"

Abashed, the boy stepped forward and hung his head, "I'm sorry Poppa. It's just … in the other world; he wasn't exactly the man you think. In fact, he was a Deatheater. H_e_ was the one who gave away my parents to Voldemort! _He_ was the one who framed Sirius and made him spend years in jail! _**He**_ was the one who _ruined my life_!"

Harry's hands had clenched into fists and his body had begun shaking during his tirade. He had never really voiced his feelings on Wormtail until that moment, and even he himself was shocked at the sheer emotion that poured forth from him.

Dumbledore swept over to Harry and gently took the boy into an embrace, "There, there. It's alright now." He led Harry back over to the nearby chair.

Taking his own seat, the headmaster peered at Harry worriedly over his spectacles. Folding his hands beneath his long nose, the Professor pondered silently for awhile allowing Harry the time to calm down.

"I am sorry, Harry. I hadn't realised that Peter was a Deatheater in your timeline. In this world he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix – a resistance group that I helm."

Harry nodded, "I read about that actually."

The headmaster smiled softly, "Did you? You will then remind me to discuss it with you as the Harry who grew up here was quite well versed. That said, the membership of the group is a very important secret, less so now than it was before, but you musn't share what you learn with Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger, am I clear?" Receiving a nod from his descendent, Dumbledore continued, "Good. Now, it happened awhile back. Five years ago in a Deatheater attack on London, Peter was attempting to save a group of muggleborns. He and the muggles were sadly blasted away by a vicious explosive spell. It was a particularly gruesome and sad death, as it was not until that moment that everyone fully realised his worth. He was a good man here... and an under appreciated one at that."

Harry nodded weakly, not wanting to hear about any of Peter's worthiness. "I see. Thanks for clearing that up. I should be off to bed, I guess." He stood and made to leave before turning back embarrassedly, "Sorry I sort of went a little mad just then."

The headmaster winked and tossed him a Lemon Drop. "Think nothing of it, Harry. Good night and good dreams."

* * *

**That Night -**

"Prong_let_!" **S**irius bellowed, sweeping seven year old Harry up into his arms. Harry giggled and threw his arms around his Godfather's neck before giving him an Eskimo kiss accompanied with a cheerful, "Papa Padfoot!"

"And who's that I spy? Is that Pronglittle?" Sirius grinned jovially as a shy five year old Ethan peeked out from behind a corner before running forward to also be swept up into the man's arms.

"Ah, I knew from the noise it could only be you, Sirius." Lily playfully scolded as she stepped into the foyer, affection playing on her features.

Sirius only smiled wider and released both boys. He leaned down and opened his hands, revealing two tiny glowing model broomsticks that immediately bounced into the air, hovering over his palms. Ethan and Harry both snatched the toys from the air and grinned at each other.

The door rattled open once more and Snape walked in, shrugging off his outer cloak, "Hello, then." He caught Harry's eager gaze from the corner of his eye and gave him a smile, "Harry, how's my favourite green eyed little chap doing?"

As he was picked up into Snape's arms, Harry grinned, showing off his model broomstick. "I'm OK, Uncle Sevi! I missed you!"

Snape colored a little, "I missed you too and ... who else did I miss ...?" The man playfully pondered before grabbing a squealing Ethan up into his arms as well, "Why this little redhead here!"

Sirius leaned toward his friend, fluttering his eyelashes, "Did you miss me too Sniv? Cause I missed youuuuu!"

"Shut it, Black!" Snape growled, though a good natured smile played upon his face.

Lily rolled her eyes, "If you two are quite finished, James and the others are in the study."

The two men and boys followed Lily to the study. Inside, Snape placed the boys onto the floor before taking a seat next to Remus and Sirius. Still clutching his little broom toy, Harry scrambled to the sofa and crawled up into Sirius' lap. He tugged on Snape's robes, but was stopped by a shake of the man's head.

"Merlin, it's been awhile since we've all been together!" Sirius chorused cheerfully as he ran a hand through Harry's messy hair as the little boy giggled, "Sort of feels like our school days."

James shared a grin with his best friend, pulling Ethan up into his arms and swinging a casual arm about his wife. "Could almost be - except this discussion isn't all about witches, food and pranking Sev."

Snape scowled. "I'm a bit glad that they aren't, if anyone cares."

"No one does." James grinned, "Just kidding Sev. Well, I won't keep you in suspense - the big news is that Dumbledore has noticed some stirrings of activity in Southern England."

Remus looked apprehensive, "And this involves us because - oh no - James, he doesn't think it has to do with ol' Voldie, does he?"

Peter cringed, "Really, Remus. Don't mention his name like that!"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Oh come off it, Peter. It's been many years since that name was cursed. Honestly, by whinging on like this you're just giving more power to the blighter. Grow a backbone."

Peter scowled and leaned back into his chair, "Sirius, I'm just saying, it's inappropriate, you know. Like a jinx!"

Snape snorted.

"He does think it might be related. There a was a riot recently and though he thinks it's a bit preliminary to activate the entire Order, he wanted two of you to go and take a look." Lily looked grim, eyeing her sons.

"I figured Sirius and I would take this, but we wanted you blokes to be aware so on first notice you'd be ready if we need some back up."

"When are you headed out?"

"Ah, probably on Monday - yeah, I know Moony - you're coming up on the change, aren't you?"

The other marauder rolled his eyes, "_Yes_, James. And if you'd please, I'd rather you not call it the "change" - you make me sound like a middle aged witch about to go through menopause!"

Sirius grinned, "Would you rather we call it your monthly irritation?"

Remus growled, "If you'd like me to call you dead meat. 'Cause if you don't shut it, Padfoot…"

Harry's father laughed.

"Is everyone going away?" Harry piped up, looking earnestly at his parents and the other men.

James broke the news gently, "No, Harry. Only Daddy and Papa Padfoot. Just for a few days. And Uncle Remus' full moon is coming...but Mummy'll be here. Uncle Peter too."

"Uncle Sevi?" Harry inquired hopefully.

"Sorry Harry, I have to go back to Hogwarts."

Harry's face fell and he scowled at his father, "No one should go! Stay here!"

"Harry," James began patiently, "It's only for a very short time."

"Why not me?" Peter interrupted.

The room turned silent and Sirius turned to Peter, "We only need two, Wormtail. Either way, Remus needs someone to stay with him, you know the drill."

"I know the drill, _Sirius_." Peter's voice had become cold, "But I could still go if you or James stayed back."

James and Sirius looked at each other uneasily, "Er, Peter, Padfoot and I are partners." James began.

"The 'best brothers'" Lily added, grinning, "A Well deserved nickname."

Peter's chubby face darkened, "Partners for Auror business. This has nothing to do with the Ministry."

"To be fair, Peter," It was Snape to try and mediate, "It's really not anything to get jealous over, just a little reconnaissance."

"I think that it might be quicker with us ... it's just that we've been trained in certain things, including field work and that'll hopefully work to our advantage."

"Fine. Okay." Peter said, throwing his hands up in front of him.

"Peter, don't be peeved."

"I'm not, Remus."

"Alright, well, shall we move on?" Remus turned to James, "Perhaps toward dinner?"

"Feed me!" Sirius accosted Lily, dancing around her as she tried to get to her feet.

As the crowd clambered toward the exit, James hung back with a worried glance toward Peter. "Alright, Peter?"

Peter's mouth curled into a thin lipped smile that looked rather painful to Harry. "Alright, James. I think I'm going to head out, though."

The eldest Potter's eyes were warm and earnest as he looked onto his friend, reaching out to brace his shoulder, "I know that you're getting weary with the rejections, Peter, but honestly you_ will_ get into the Auror program with us someday. Dawlish took seven tries! You just have to hold your head up and not let it get to you, afterall they put a lot of emphasis on character and -"

"Yeah, James. I got it." The comforting hand was shrugged off roughly as ice dripped through his response.

"Er - alright, then. Come along, Harry. See you later, Wormtail."

James stiffly walked Harry out of the study but as he walked ahead, Harry realised he had left his toy broom behind. Creeping back into the room his face split into a broad grin as he reached for the broom on the sofa. Peter stood facing the fireplace, his back to Harry as he stared down into the hearth.

"Alright, James? Alright you selfish wanker. Just wait. Partners, are you? Character, they want? Bloody git. _Pettigrew Flat_!" And he was gone in a burst of green flames.

A flush of unsettling panic overtook the young boy though he himself couldn't quite pinpoint why he was so upset. Harry's hand closed so tightly around his toy broomstick that it snapped and cut his palm with a searing flash of pain.

"MUMMMYYYY!"

* * *

**H**arry jolted awake and blinked confusedly at the soft velvet of the top of his canopy bed. The dark mumblings of Peter had only reinforced his hatred of the man. But then, that memory had taken place years ago and Peter could have definitely proven himself by then.

Preferring not to dwell on the dead man's alliances, Harry turned to his side and tunnelled deeper into his covers. Mmh. Sleep.

* * *

"Alright e'vryone! I told yer all that today we'd be movin' the molehugger's to new habitats. Careful now, if yer ain't gentle yer gonna find yerself full o' dirt!" **H**agrid explained warmly as he surveyed the 5th year class of Care of Magical Creatures. The crisp October air had a chill about it as the month readied itself to turn to November.

"This is absolutely repulsive," Draco sneered, poking warily at the dirt coated ball that was a molehugger. "_Absolutely_ repulsive."

"Gee, Parvati. How do you deal with your boyfriend being such a priss?" Harry smirked, snapping the rim of the gloves he was putting on.

Draco scowled darkly at Harry before tossing a handful of dirt into the boy's face. "Pardon me, Potter?"

Spluttering in disgust, Harry glared at Draco, "Malfoy!"

"Yeah, yeah, come _on_ Harry. Let's just get this done with!" Ron nudged him, grinning, "This is simple. Full marks, I predict!"

"Yeah, Ron?" Harry turned to his best friend while coolly tossing a pile of dirt around his side so it hit Draco in the back of the neck.

Draco spluttered loudly but was silenced by Parvati gently dusting the dirt off and kissing his sweetly.

Harry smirked as he a heard a weak, "But, Potter started it!"

From the space next to them, Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Now, Ron, you have to be careful you know. It'd take a very diligent person to _actually_ get full marks on the environment transfer. You have to make sure it doesn't go mad, so you _must_ be very gentle – "

"Yeah, _Harry_ definitely _full marks_!" With that, and a pointed look at Hermione, Ron dug his hands into the low walled container, and scooped the molehugger up. The creature reared back and gave a wild screech, before thrashing wildly in the boy's arms, hitting Ron numerous times with it's flipper like paws until it flopped back into the container from which it came.

Ron was left with a thick coating of dark, runny, mud and no hope of full marks.

"Oh, BUGGER!" He grouched, and cursed a few more expletives as the others turned to look at him, giggling behind their hands.

Hermione hid a smile, "See, Ron! If you didn't manhandle it like that!"

"I didn't _manhandle_ it, Hermione!" Ron replied crossly, "I'll have you know that I have a VERY gentle touch if I want to!"

"Was that an invitation to Hermione, Weasel?" Draco said, leaning back from his seat in front of them.

At that Hermione made a small squeak and Ron turned the color of his hair. "Shut it, Ferret! You – you – you …"

But his words were drowned out by the raucous laughter of the other students.

As his laughter died down, Harry patted Ron on the shoulder, "Ron, we're just having a bit of fun!"

Scowling, Ron pulled off his gloves and slammed them down on the table. "Sure, fun! It's always fun when I get trapped in the stupid plant! When I get attacked by spiders! When I get mauled by the dumb dirt thing!" He grinned only to get hit by another spew of dirt from the molehugger. The group burst into the renewed laughter.

Harry's giggles were subsiding as he tried to get back to the project at hand. "Come on you, lot. Let's get back to wo - "

But he never finished his sentence. A familiar shooting pain shot through his head, causing him to jerk forward knocking the tray in front of him onto the ground.

He felt himself shout out as the pain began to intensify. The others were calling his name, but Harry heard none of it as his scar began to burn.

His knees hit the ground and he screamed.

But almost as quickly as the pain had appeared it had disappeared, leaving Harry in a disoriented heap on the ground. Small stars danced tauntingly in front of his eyes. They were bright red and amber and distinctly morbid. He screwed his eyes shut tightly to get rid of them.

"Harry. Can you hear me? Harry?" Hermione was saying softly, her voice high with fear.

"Hermione. Wait, give him a second. Harry, it's me, Ron. Are you alright?"

Harry's sight blanked out again for a moment, just before he heard his father's voice from afar. The cluster of turbid emotions rising in his chest calmed slightly, feeling like a three year old whose father was there to kiss away the scraped knees and elbows.

_Daddy …_

"Where is he?"

As strong arms grabbed him and lifted him as if he was but a pillow rather than a fifteen year old boy, Harry let the darkness claim him.

* * *

**W**hen he awoke it was to his mother's gentle gaze.

"Harry!" She gasped, a pleased smile dancing across her face, "Are you feeling okay?"

He managed a weak smile for his mother, though the act took a lot of energy out of him. "I guess so, mum. What time is it?"

His mother smiled, "It's about 10 at night. You were asleep for the whole day. Your Dad's out getting some dinner ready." She stroked his forehead, "You were stirring a lot. I figured you would wake up soon."

Harry noticed a sleeping Ethan curled up on one of the hospital wing's spare beds, "You always know best, mum."

Lily patted his hand and then looked at him, "Was it a vision, Harry-bear?"

The boy started at that, "No." He said quickly.

His mother fixed him with a reprimanding stare, "Harry, don't try to protect us! Was it a vision? No fibbing, young man!"

"No! It really wasn't, mummy, I swear!" Harry blinked at the term he had used. He had heard Ron call his mother the more childish form of the word at only a few times: when in a rush, in trouble, or when whispering "Goodbye, I love you" at Platform 9 and 3/4 . He grinned inwardly; he had never called anyone that before.

"What wasn't?" James asked as he came inside, plates of pasta dangling in the air behind him.

"Harry says he didn't have a vision." Lily explained, taking the plates down from the air.

The elder Potter raised an eyebrow at his son, "It wasn't? _Harry …"_He began sternly.

"It wasn't, Dad!" Harry protested as one of the bowls of steaming pasta was placed in front of him. "It was just like, pain … like the kind that comes when I get a vision … …but it went away very quickly."

James frowned, propping his feet up on Harry's bed as he sat down. "That's strange. I guess Voldemort couldn't have been nearby, or else the pain would have lasted. And he's not exactly the type to say 'Boo!' and run off. I don't like this though. I'll have to go talk to Granddad tomorrow morning." His voice softened, "So, how are you feeling, Champ? Is the pain gone now?"

Harry felt his heart expand when he was called the now familiar nickname by his father. The closest he ever got to one with the Dursleys was "freak." Which, all things considered, wasn't really the greatest nickname to have.

"Yeah, it's gone. I'm just a little tired."

James looked worriedly at his son, while Lily slipped over to where Ethan slept and woke him with a gentle shake.

Sleepily, Ethan moved over to Harry's bed and plopped down in another chair. "Alright, Harry?" He asked as James passed him a bowl of pasta.

"Alright, Ethan." Harry smiled.

"Well eat up darling. After you finish you can go back to sleep. We'll stay here with you."

"Thanks." And Harry meant it so severely, that he was sure that that simple word would not be enough to show how much he appreciated them. Yet, as he looked at his Father, Mother and brother he saw that words were not needed with them. They knew.

And the family ate peacefully, secure in this room, secure in their love for one another.

* * *

**T**he next few days passed quickly and without incident. Harry had been excused from classes and a prefect meeting ('Lucky arse' as Ron had dubbed him) and had spent much of that time with his mother and father. Due to his illness his Father had also postponed his 'detentions' with his Great-Grandfather. This was the unlucky part, as after learning about the subject of Occlumency Harry was eager to try his hand at it.

"Happy Halloween!" Dumbledore's voice echoed through the great hall, successfully quietening the large student body. "And it is a happy one indeed!"

Harry's great great grandfather was dressed in robes of shocking orange and all the staff members sported a variety of little costume accessories. Lupin looked quite pleased with his vampire fangs and cloak whilst Snape looked particularly disgruntled over his pink cat ears. Harry laughed as he remembered his father's description of his Uncle's face when he picked the pink ears from the bag of accessories ("And he was like, 'ROAR' as soon as he saw them! It was excellent! And just so you know, Uncle Remus and I charmed them pink as soon as he grabbed them. We put a little spell on him, all the sweeter, my boy, all the sweeter. Mind you now, Uncle Severus is my friend and that was just for fun, but if you ever want the spell …. You know … Slytherins particular hate pink … I may just teach it to you … what's that Lil? Oh, nothing, just talking about defence! Of _course_ I wouldn't be teaching him spells! Honestly, what kind of Dad do you think I am?).

"I shan't keep you. Eat up and remember to use lots of toothpaste tonight, otherwise your teeth may rot and fall out, and it is no good promoting unfair stereotypes, now is it?"

With those words, the tables filled with candies and cakes and the children immediately set to devouring as much as they could.

"Catch, Potter." Draco sneered as he tossed Harry a cupcake. "See, I added a piece of licorice and a N shaped yellow candy. And voila! Instant Harry Potter!"

Harry glanced down at the smiley face cupcake which was supposed to resemble him. "You are such an idiot, Draco."

"He really is, isn't?" Parvati supplemented, her pumpkin earrings ringing like small bells as she laughed.

"Hey!" Draco said crossly, a pout crossing his mouth, "I walk all the way over here to greet you guys and you treat me terribly."

"Sorry Draco, but that face does nothing for me." Harry grinned.

Parvati smiled sweetly and captured Draco with a kiss that the others groaned at. "Don't worry Dragon, it does something for me."

The two smiled goofily at each other while everyone else around them rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, well something's doing something for me right now." Complained Ron, his face taking on a sickly glow. "I think that last pumpkin pasty was a little much."

"That _last_ pumpkin pasty?" Hermione said crossly, "and I'm sure it had _nothing_ to do with the other twelve you inhaled?"

Ron looked abashed and Harry was irresistibly drawn to a comparison between Hermione scolding Ron and Mr. Weasley being reprimanded by his wife.

"Only eleven." Ron said timidly.

"What was that?" Hermione snapped.

"I only ate eleven, Hermione!"

"Ron!" Hermione gasped, "As if that's so much better!"

Draco rolled his eyes in their direction and grinned at Harry while mouthing, "Sexual tension."

The Gryffindors nearby all laughed while Hermione and Ron turned on them in confusion.

All of a sudden a huge explosion seemed to rock the very foundation of the school. The great Hall shrieked as if on one accord and all eyes turned immediately to the Weasley Twins.

"Hey, don't look at us like that – " Fred began.

"we're not always behind explosions – " Finished George.

"Well, at least not all the time." Fred relented.

"Although if you're ever in need of a small explosion …" George continued.

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes will be most pleased to provide you wi-"

"Oh, that's enough!" Snapped Angelina, whom Harry had been pleased to know, that although she didn't play Quidditch due to a bad shoulder, _was_ still at Hogwarts and dating Fred Weasley at that.

"Wow, what was that?" Neville voiced, elbowing Harry gently in the side.

"I don't – "

"LOOK!" Ethan shouted, pointing up to the ceiling of the great hall. The sky was no longer visible; instead the ceiling was thick with clouds and ominous flashes of colored light.

The candles that hung in the air began to flicker ominously, a few of them flickering out.

Dumbledore stood suddenly, a fierce look on his eyes. His fists came down onto the teacher's table.

"Children, take cover underneath your seats. Professor Snape, Sprout and Hooch please stay here and take care of the students. Barricade the doors. Everyone else, come with me."

In a swirl of robes the professors left the great hall, the large door swinging shut with a boom.

"WELL! YOU HEARD HIM! UNDER THE TABLES!" Snape bellowed, looking every inch the cold git that Harry remembered.

The hall burst into noisy chatter as the students hit the grounds beneath the house tables. Cramped between a group of Gryffindors, Harry frowned, worried.

A dull sort of pain seemed to be stirring up inside of him.

"Harry, mate? Are you okay?" Ron called out from the darkness.

"Yeah, I'm fine Ron."

"Your scar isn't hurting, is it? That would be good news wouldn't it?"

"It isn't hurting, Parvati." Harry noted back and felt Parvati squeeze his hand in comfort.

The castle shook once more, as if being bent beneath mysterious forces.

The dull pain was getting a little worse.

"Ethan, are you okay?" Harry called into the darkness, wanting to be assured of his little brother's safety.

"I'm okay, Harry…" Ethan returned.

Another explosion shook the school causing a collective scream to be let out.

"So, kids. I think wands out would be a good idea." Ethan continued, and there was a soft sound of motion as wands were withdrawn and held in trembling hands.

The pain was getting sharper, and Harry groaned.

"Harry?" His brother asked worriedly.

"I'm okay, it's just – AH!" Harry could not contain the yell that escaped his lips as the familiar flaming sensation engulfed his senses.

His scar roared to life just as the shrill voice of Voldemort echoed from outside the school.

"Trick or Treat."

**To be Continued …**

Eeek! Hogwarts is under **attack!** What will happen? Will anyone **die**? What about **weirdo!Peter **And what about that **dark mark**? All this and MORE **Next Chapter**!

**Please remember to REVIEW! I Will always reply to every signed in review! It means so much to hear your feedback!  
**


	17. Holiday Horrors

**Author's Note: **

_2010_: Hurrah on over 1000 reviews! As part of our 1000 review bonanza, one of the reviewers who commented on the last chapter will have their name added in at some point in a later chapter! This time the lucky reviewer was SunshineandDaisies! But no frets, lots of more chances to come :D

This is the last chapter that was written pre-2010! After this we get into all new material – old readers should be excited! And new readers as well :D I adore you guys, and here's to a holiday season with some VERY interesting updates!

I am also leaving the original Author's Note intact:

_2006_: Well, Hi :D and Welcome to the NEW chapter of Harry Potter and the Wish of Life. And it's been two years since I updated – I know, I know and I'm sorry!

What basically happened was that this chapter was by far the hardest to write as it had to cover a lot of plot in order to get to the point in the timeline that I wanted it too. I first completed the Chapter back almost two years ago – but my computer caught a virus and I had to wipe the harddrive. The chapter was saved on a floppy disk which then decided to not work – so I had to use one of those file saver programs to try and see what I wrote – which involved having to try and decipher the results. Since it had taken me so long to write and finish the chapter, I was somewhat discouraged, and putting the chapter back together seemed too big a task. Another problem was that my writing style changed within two years – so I feel like this chapter is sort of a mishmash of writing etc etc and that too made it difficult to finish.

I am sorry for making you guys wait, and I sincerely hope that there are still some of you out there who will like this story:D If I ever decided to stop writing this story (Which I won't) I would make a note of it – not just abandon it! I hope you all enjoy the chapter and I can promise that the next one will be better :D

As there is now a nifty reply review option, I'll no longer be posting replies to reviews within the chapters. If you don't have an account you can leave your email and I will reply through that :D

And with no further ado:

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 17**

**Holiday Horrors**

* * *

**T**he Great Hall filled with horrified screams at the sound of Voldemort's voice, but it was Harry's shout of agony that echoed above all the others.

"Harry! HARRY!" Ethan was shouting frantically into his ear, his voice cracking with emotion. But the pain was engulfing Harry's senses too quickly for him to respond, and lost in the tendrils of agony, he felt himself being pulled further and further away from the other students and the Great Hall. A rushing feeling filled his ears and then he felt himself hurdling through darkness until everything cleared.

He blinked.

The pain was gone, but before he could rejoice over that, an eerie cold brushed across his spine. Almost against his will, knowing what was to greet him would not be pleasant, he turned his face left to see Voldemort.

If he had been in his body his breath would have caught in his throat in horror.

He was different than the last time Harry had seen him. He was stronger. Magic crackled around his form while thin lips curled into a malicious smile as he surveyed the castle in front of him.

Harry's eyes then swung around the area in which they were standing, and became aware of the number of Deatheaters that flanked them on either side. He would have made a run for it, but no one seemed aware that he was there.

At the top of a tower, Harry's great grandfather appeared majestically. His eyes were such a furious light blue that they spliced through the night sky, and Harry wondered how Voldemort could keep his knees from buckling in fright. As that absurd thought passed through his head, Harry felt himself becoming choked with fear - what exactly was happening? Was he dead? Is that why he was out of his body? Panic was filling his senses as the Deatheaters raised their wands and sent bolts of shocking orange at the castle.

Hogwarts moaned and creaked, the air around it splitting and wavering.

"Tom, you have vastly misjudged your abilities here tonight." Dumbledore said darkly as the Professors appeared behind him.

"Really, Dumbledore?" Voldemort smiled cruelly, and a wave of hatred swept over Harry. With horror, however, he realised that although hatred for Voldemort was the most prominent feeling, there was rage at Dumbledore, at Hogwarts, at even himself. It was almost as if he was feeling what Voldemort himself felt. "Because I think that it is you who have misjudged your abilities." Then, to the deatheaters, "Again!"

Upon his command, the deatheaters sent more bolts of orange and reds toward the castle. Hogwarts gave a mighty creak and Harry could see blocks of granite come loose from some of the taller towers. If he had been in corporeal form, his face would have scrunched up in horror, but as it was, he just felt overcome with helplessness.

This couldn't be happening.

Voldemort's wrist snapped up in a smooth motion, and from his wand burst forth a great ball of fire that headed directly toward Dumbledore and the other professors.

"NO!" Harry felt as if his heart was literally being ripped from inside of him.

Dumbledore, on the other hand seemed unphased, he simply lifted his hand and as the fireball moved toward the school it seemed to be engulfed from within itself by a splash of bright blue magic, effectively leaving nothing left of it except some traces of smoke that quickly dissipated into the air.

As Voldemort's face contorted in anger and Harry felt surges of irrepressible fury when he knew he shouldn't, Dumbledore glew a bright purple. The professors were all incanting, their voices slowly growing in strength as magic of all colors flew from their wands and began to spin around the school. The purple magic from Dumbledore gave rise to streaks of fleeting colors that circled the school over and over.

Taken back, some deatheaters raised their wands again and set forth another round of orange bolts.

"NO! IDIOTS!" Voldemort shouted furiously, having realised that Dumbledore was warding the school anew.

But it was too late, the orange magic had already rebounded and zoomed back at the deatheaters. As orange filled Harry's vision, he was just barely aware of a spluttered curse by Voldemort who then apparated away with a pop.

The rushing feeling was back, pulling him back to his friends, his brother, his family. And then everything was just black.

It was hours later that Harry had woken to the worried looks of his friends and family. He had stayed conscious long enough for them to inform him that they were all alright and that Snape had rushed him to Madame Pomprey after he had blacked out. Too shaken by the events that had unfolded, and his little trip out of his body, Harry had kept quiet about what he had experienced and feigned no knowledge of what had happened outside the school.

As he had fallen back to sleep, Dumbledore had quietly asked his parents to leave with him so that they could continue reinforcing the wards around the school. A tearful Lily had squeezed Harry's hand, "But if he wakes up he'll be alone!"

Dumbledore had looked around at Ethan, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Parvati who were all wide-eyed and clustered around the bed, and smiled wryly.

Harry had managed to murmur that it was alright for his mother to leave before he let slumber overtake him once again.

Unfortunately, sleep had soon evaded him, and he woke barely a few hours later to a darkened room. The hospital ward was empty aside from him, although the beds were full with his friends, who had obviously all decided to stay the night. At this knowledge, his heart fell particularly full, and he wondered what exactly he had done to deserve such great friends and family. Honestly, now that he had them all, Harry had no idea how he had ever survived without them in the first place.

Leaning back into the soft hospital bed pillows, Harry shut his eyes. Despite being unconscious for the majority of the night, he still felt an overwhelming exhaustion sweep through him.

It was just hard to sleep, though both his body and mind wanted it.

Screwing his eyes together tightly, he stumbled upon an appropriate remedy to his insomnia:

Settling back, Harry began going over Binns' latest history of magic lecture.

As soon as the first date of the fifth Troll Revolution of William's Hill spun through his head, sleep began to claim him.

As he fell deeper and deeper into sleep, the bed fell away beneath him, and the darkness trickled in all around him. The darkness began to get progressively thicker and thicker, almost uncomfortable until suddenly it cleared and all Harry felt was anger.

In fact, he was very, _very_ angry. "You fool," He began, looking at the small huddle of a man who was at his feet in the dimly lit room. "You told me that the wards would be down for at least an hour."

The man crouched before him was trembling, and began speaking in tones that Harry felt he recognized. "I thought they would be sire, I thought they would be, my Lord. I apologize. My humblest, sincere apologies. I … was unable to have any other help on this mission, my Lord. I had to disable the wards a little at a time in order to keep from arising suspicions. The disconnection was shaky, and I had no idea that Dumbledore was that connected with the wards that he would be able to re-establish them so quickly. Next time, my lord. Next time I will be more efficient. I swear to you."

Harry saw red. Or rather (he realised with sickening horror), _Voldemort_ saw red. He was _inside_ Voldemort. Bile would have filled his throat had he been in his own body, but he willed himself to stay calm.

"You should be _begging _me for the chance of another time, you _imbicile_. After this spectacle I should kill you where you kneel. I lost five men today." He didn't stress any of his words, it wasn't particularly necessary. Everything he said was important. Harry felt ill as the vague filtering of Voldemort thoughts ran through his head. "You're lucky your appointment at Hogwarts is important to me, otherwise…" Voldemort trailed off and Harry felt a jolt of amusement as Voldemort chuckled darkly.

"Yes Lord. You are most kind, my lord. Most giving. You are a great wizard, and I am weak. I am your humble servant. Whatever you want, master, I shall do."

Harry tried to take a closer look at the man, but he was so shrouded in darkness that all the boy could make out was a cuff of dark purple beneath the Deatheater cloak. "Stop whining_. Crucio_."

The man started screaming and Harry jolted, feeling cold pain surge through him as he began to scream as well. The sensation of hurtling through air filled his senses and the pain gradually receded into nothing as his eyes flashed open to find all of his friends clustered around his hospital bed.

Gasping in residual pain he sat up, emerald eyes flickering around the room wildly.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked in a trembling voice.

"Are you alright?" Parvati supplemented, looking close to tears.

"Harry?" Ethan whispered worriedly, his hands wringing together, "You were shouting so loudly…"

Harry blinked furiously and rasped, his throat dry, "There's someone at Hogwarts. Voldemort has someone at Hogwarts, and they're going to try and take the wards down again."

The air seemed to freeze around them as the children stood in the dark hospital room. The moon vanished beneath musty clouds, depriving the room of any slopes of light, and in one quick moment Harry felt the familiar weight of burdens on shoulders that were meant to be too weak to carry such things.

* * *

**T**he next morning, Harry had rushed to find Dumbledore to tell all. His Great Grandfather had looked drawn and old in the aftermath of the previous night, and Harry felt worry squeeze at his heart. He told Dumbledore of the hidden Deatheater, but left out the fact that he had been inside Voldemort. _That_ fact had remained with him. It was just too offsetting … too _frightening_ to share. The anger and hatred that had pulsed through him while inside Voldemort had left him feeling tarnished.

Tainted with evil.

And he didn't ever want his great-grandfather to know.

The headmaster had sent Harry back to class with the promise to look into everything as well as with a stern notice for Harry not to attempt any spy work himself.

The next month and a half flew by as the professors piled on assignment after assignment, paper after paper, and test after test on the poor fifth years. Quaterina Whiffle, a shy, fifth year Hufflepuff girl who Harry didn't quite know, had become so stressed that she frequently fell victim to the faints. The Weasley twins even took to placing bets on when her next spell would be, and made quite a cleaning in the process.

Having no Hogsmeade weekend to appease them, Harry and Ethan had cornered Lupin and begged him to take them to London to buy presents for their parents. Unhappily, and with a sour glare at the boys as they fixed their puppy stares on him, he had agreed, and the three of them along with Draco had spent a lovely day in the city, avoiding the occasionally hobo and visiting both muggle and magical shops alike.

For their mother, the boys had bought a magical music box in the shape of a crystal lily. It played any song you could name, and bloomed magnificently as the notes tinkled through the air. They added in some of her favourite chocolates and a pair of earrings just to be extra mummy's boys. Their father had been a little harder to shop for, but finally they had come across a red cloak made from blood red rose petals and woven with threads of gold, that they thought would look particularly spiffy on the elder Potter. A pair of national standard Quidditch gloves finished off their father's gift.

With a book for Hermione and Parvati, sugar quills and chocolate frogs for Ron, and a broomstick servicing kit for Draco, Harry was done his Christmas shopping for the most part, with only a few random gifts for his great-great-grandparents, his dorm mates, and his brother left.

Harry had also found an incredible motorcycle helmet at _Magicking Muggleness_ that mirrored the sky much like the ceiling at Hogwarts did, and had purchased it for Sirius. His heart had then immediately sank in misery when he had finally remembered that he could never, ever give it to Sirius. Instead of returning it, however, Harry stored it in his trunk, its presence somewhat mollifying him, _you know_, just in case.

Ever since Halloween Dumbledore was constantly missing from the daily activities of Hogwarts, and Harry's detentions had been forgotten in the stress over the wards. This left Harry feeling very put out, as after the recent events, he felt even more in dark about this world than ever before. Harry had a feeling that Ron didn't quite like to address the issue, as he was always too 'busy' to answer any questions Harry had. Thus, sans Ron and Dumbledore, Harry was getting more and more agitated as questions about this world mounted.

The dreams from the past he would have had if his parents had lived had become somewhat of a constant in his life. They were usually short and gave no real information, but they fed Harry with tidbits of belonging and history that he never felt privy to in the past. He had yet to read through his journal, and was planning to spend the majority of Christmas break doing so.

Goodbyes were said as his expanded group of friends left toward their own respective homes for the holidays. Everyone had been so sad to be separated that no one even made a single irritated peep when Parvati and Draco indulged in a rather extended goodbye snog in front of everyone.

Harry had expected to have a lot of quality family time once home at Godric's Hollow, but his parents had been tied up in some order work that involved the wards and the possible culprit. Nonetheless, they were able to spend more time together as Christmas Day approached and Godric's Hollow was soon decked in obscene amounts of tinsel, lights and globes of bright colors. A giant Christmas tree took up most of the lounge, and presents filled every nook and cranny beneath it.

* * *

**O**n Christmas Eve as Harry quickly wrapped his gifts to his brother, he took a moment to glance around his room fondly.

_This _was what he had been waiting his entire life for, what had been missing all those years. Hedwig was curled up on her perch beside his bed, his father's image was relaxing against the edge of his Quidditch poster, peering out in interest at Harry's wrapping ability. And God Rest ye Merry Hippogriff's was playing somewhere downstairs, as his mother placed the decorations they received from the church's candlelight service on the tree.

"Hey." Ethan poked his head into Harry's room, his eyes immediately lighting with interest as his sights fell upon the rather shoddily wrapped presents. "For me, is it?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "No, for my other brother, you dumb git."

A grin flashed across Ethan's face, "You'd still love me best. Anyway, it's almost 12 Harry. Potter Family tradition coming up in five, four, three, two, one."

"Oh right," Harry said, "I know." Actually not knowing anything, Harry then just stared dumbly at his brother.

Ethan looked at him for a moment before scowling, "Well, come _on _then. You're rather slow on the uptake aren't you? I'm surprised you're even wearing your Christmas Pajamas."

Harry flushed and looked down at the red pajamas decorated in tiny shimmering Christmas trees and bells. He had found the pajamas laid out on his bed this afternoon and albeit a little embarrassed, had donned them. Ethan wore a matching pair in green, and unlike Harry, seemed altogether very pleased to have them on.

Placing Ethan's present on his bedside table, Harry turned to follow his brother. The two walked into their parents' room where Lily and James were reclining in their large bed. With nary a thought, Ethan flew across the room, bounding in between his parents and shoved his legs beneath the thick red comforter.

Harry hesitated at the foot of the bed, unsure of what to do.

Sipping at a mug of steaming cocoa, James raised one dark eyebrow at his eldest son. "Harry? Too old to have our Christmas Eve indoor camp out?"

Hearing this, Lily's eyes grew large, "Oh Harry!" She gasped, disappointment in her voice, "Really, darling?"

"No!" Harry shook his head, trying to calm his mother, "No, er, just that Ethan's so fat I'm not sure there's room for me."

A pillow came hurdling at his head, and with a laugh Harry slowly knelt on the bed, and knee-walked his way over between his mother and Ethan. Squishing beneath the downy comforter he settled back against the fluffy pillows somewhat awkwardly, vague fake memories of doing this when he was younger flitting through his head but not long enough for him to grasp them.

James levitated two mugs of cocoa over to the boys, the smell of chocolate and marshmallows filling Harry's senses as he grasped it carefully in his hands.

"Alright," Their father raised an eyebrow at the two youngest Potters, "What'll it be this year? Santa: A wizard's tale or Alphard and the Reindeer?"

Somewhat astounded, Harry was silent as Ethan seemed to think, "Wizard's tale! We saw Alphard last year."

And as his father tipped his wand at the wizarding television and a badly animated cartoon about Santa Claus, the awkward wizardling, started with a choral number entitled: _Poor Santa and his red, red hat_, Harry finally knew what Christmas really felt like.

* * *

_That Night_

"So, Harry – have you had your first kiss yet?" **S**irius asked merrily, a floppy santa hat perched on his head as he ignored the gift in his arms to tease his godson.

"Papa Padfoot!" 14 year old Harry reddening quickly, contested at the same time as Lily whirled around and smacked Sirius in the shoulder.

"He's only fourteen, Sirius!" James protested only to be silenced by the looks Remus and Sirius both gave him, "What?"

"When you were fourteen, James," Remus began, his sandy eyes sparkling with ill-concealed mirth.

"You were already on second …" Sirius continued, a dark eyebrow raised as both the younger Potter boys leaned forward in curiousity.

"Second level of my infatuation with Lily and reading my bible every night!" James scowled, "Listen here Harry, don't go getting any ideas from these stupid uncles of yours."

"I'd like to take this moment to point out that in seventh year I beat you by one entire grade level in Charms." Sirius crowed, swinging his legs up and dropping them lazily on the ottoman in front of him, "So you're the stupid one here."

Remus sighed as James opened his mouth to talk, and relegated himself to eating a chocolate Santa Clause.

"And I'd like to point out I was able to dye your hair green that very same year, and it lasted for an entire month because you couldn't figure out the counter charm." James smirked, sending a wink to his sons.

"And I'd like to point out that I want to open more presents!" Ethan scowled, fixing the adults with a dark glare, "Mummy, can we?"

Harry's mother laughed, "Well, if everyone's finished their first round, then why not."

As everyone scrambled to choose a gift to open, Sirius popped a cinnamon candy into his mouth and lazily tugged at the red ribbon that encircled his gift. "Hey, what do you lot say about spending next Christmas at Grimmauld Place?"

Everyone in the family looked up at the mention of the address, and Sirius kept talking rather quickly.

"I mean, we spent it last time at Lupin manor, and it'll be good. The new wife and I would love to have you guys in next year, I'm sure."

"Seriously, Sirius?" James quipped pathetically, receiving a sofa cushion in the face, and no laughs for his trouble.

Ethan and Harry both looked particularly excited at the news. "Grimmauld Place? Really?" Ethan pushed, "Not Black estates?"

Sirius grinned, "Way to hate Black estates."

"No!" Ethan spluttered, "But I mean – Grimmauld Place! You hate it there! But it has all those amazing passageways, remember Harry?"

"Yeah, of course!" Harry grinned enthusiastically. "They were so cool."

"Cool, indeed." Remus said drolly, "Remember when we took Ethan and Harry there once, Sirius? They must have been around five and seven. We left them alone for five seconds to grab a book from the library and came right out to find them missing. It took us five hours to find them in all those passageways."

Sirius laughed, "Oh God, yeah. Remember that! You two didn't find the place half as exciting after spending half an hour in the corner with my hag a of mother screaming at you from her portrait."

Remus and Sirius chuckled at the memory.

"Hold on …" Lily began, her eyes glowing, "My sons got lost in that death crypt of a house and you never told me! James, did you know about this?"

"Uhh…." Sirius stalled.

"Umm…." Remus stammered.

"Ahh….." James stuttered before reaching forward, his hand wrapping around his wife's wrist and pulled her into his lap in order to lean down and kiss her hard. Shrugging at her accusatory glare as they pulled away, he pointed up to the mistletoe sprig that he had just magically moved above their heads. "Tradition, love, tradition."

As his mother glared at his father while trying to fight a smile, Harry clambered up on the sofa seat beside Sirius, looking at him with earnest eyes. "So really, Sirius? We'll really have Christmas at Grimmauld Place with you next year?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Of course kid," his free hand looped around the boy and ruffled his hair, "Stampeding Rats couldn't keep me away."

* * *

**C**hristmas dawned bright and early the next morning, and Harry jerked awake from his dream about the Christmas past at six in the morning. For a few moments he lay thoughtfully, remembering Sirius' excited expression at the idea of spending Christmas altogether.

But he wasn't here anymore.

As Harry tried to struggle over the wave of depression that always followed any thoughts of Sirius, he was nudged in the side, and turning slightly, he saw his brother's eyes open.

"It's Christmas." Ethan said in awe.

"It's Christmas." Harry whispered back reverently.

There was a moment of silence before Ethan leapt up on top of the bed and began jumping, "CHRISTMAS!"

James and Lily both woke with a start as their mattress threw them into the air as soon as Ethan landed on it. Harry scrambled up to join his brother, grinning wildly.

"I get it, I get it." James complained grumpily, a hint of a morning shadow on his jaw as he sat up, "Go brush your teeth, we'll be down in a minute."

Ethan grinned childishly before dropping violently down on the bed and scrambling of it. Harry paused to give his parents an apologetic look before a mischievous grin overtook his features and he jumped on the bed twice with force, sending his parents spiralling in the air. He ducked the smack James sent him with a laugh and raced to catch up to his brother.

A few moments later the family of four were knee deep in presents, ribbons and stockings. Unlike previous years, or at least what Harry had seen in his dream, the present opening wasn't nearly as organized. Nor were the other members of the marauders present.

Even after his rather indulgent birthday, Harry was still in awe of the number of gifts that he had to sift through. It seemed almost everyone in the wizarding world knew the Potters, and given from the amount of wrapping paper that filled their lounge, an entire forest may have been destroyed in order to wrap all the gifts that had been sent to them.

Out of all the gifts, the most outstanding were the wizarding televisions from their parents (Of course, Harry was somewhat speechless at the sweater that Aunt Petunia had sent him. A sweater! That actually _fit_! Harry was pretty amazed given that the most he could have hoped for in his previous world was a bag of lint. Seriously. She actually gave him one for his seventh birthday.). The tellies which Harry knew were rather expensive were immediately adored by both the boys, but a damper was put on it when James informed them of the parental control placed on them.

"Dad, are you bonkers? We're Fifteen." Ethan scowled.

"Exactly. You're not an adult, not by far. I don't want you boys watching the news and getting your heads filled with all that stuff – no, don't argue."

Harry's heart had sunk since as soon as he had set eyes on the television he had thought that _finally_ he could learn more about this world he was in – but with the news cut off from them, there was nothing it could help him with unless he wanted to watch some of those wizarding soaps that Parvati always giggled on about. Regardless, he wasn't about to argue with his parents about it, and instead decided to take the initiative and force some information from Ron.

After lunch Harry excused himself from the table and firecalled the Weasley's.

As the familiar redhead's face appeared in the fire, Harry grinned.

"Happy Christmas!" Ron greeted, a purple paper crown that clashed horribly with his hair sitting lopsidedly on his head.

"Happy Christmas," Harry grinned, "Your majesty?"

Flushing, Ron rolled his eyes, "Christmas crackers. Ginny's absolutely mad about them for some reason. Did you get any good loot?"

"Yeah-" Harry began, not wanting to brag in the least, "You?"

"Yeah – say, did you hear from Hermione or anything yet?"

"No, why?"

"Oh, I er, just wanted to see if she liked the perfume I sent her." And immediately Ron's face turned bright red.

Harry shook his head wryly, "Perfume, Ron?"

"Uh yeah, just cause, you know, girls like that sort of junk – and er, I wanted to soften her up so she'll help more with my homework next term – yeah, that's it!" He looked rather proud at coming up with a good explanation. It was really too bad that Ron was by far the worst liar known to man.

"Right." Harry rolled his eyes. "Er, anyways – are you by yourself, or?"

The redhead frowned a little, "Yeah, why?"

"Listen, Ron." Harry said, looking interestedly at Ron's face in the fire. "So, like I told you the dreams have been helping, but I still have so many holes in my concept of this place. I know, like, we haven't had much time to talk about everything, but I figure a few minutes now wouldn't hurt - yeah?" And before he could say no, Harry plowed right on, "Like, I mean, how about you just tell me what sort of stuff happened last year?"

Ron looked a little uncomfortable as he tilted his head, "Well, er. A lot of things happened, Harry. Er, we had a triwizard's tournament. You were chosen as a competitor along with some players from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Then Sirius," He paused, "Well, Sirius died and you wanted to help with finding him – but the magical bond that tied you to the competition prevented you from leaving the vicinity of the school. You were so pissed."

Harry nodded darkly, knowing it would have made him feel helpless, "Right."

Ron glanced around as if making sure no one was behind him at his house before continuing, "You had a third task thing at the end of the year, it was this huge maze, and there was this trophy at the end which you had to get to. But it was this portkey secretly, it had all been a set up. Harry, you got kidnapped by You-know-who in an attempt to make himself more powerful. He took your blood, but you managed to escape when he tried to kill you. After that you didn't really talk to any of us," Ron looked caught up in the memories for a moment, "You know Aishwarya? Well you two were dating then, but after that you cut if off. You were so hurt after that tournament, Harry."

Harry felt the back of his neck grow hot at the thought of having had dated a girl. It made sense the attraction and simultaneous want to stay far far away from her that he often felt. Another chapter in his past. "Yeah – well like, I told you anyway – we had a triwizards tournament as well, but Voldemort only got his powers back then – before that he was like nonexistent since I was a baby." Harry tilted his head, "What about Voldemort? And his deatheaters? How powerful are they exactly? I've been thinking all this time that they're just a little bit worse, but now Dad doesn't even want us watching the news about all of that, which I find weird."

Ron winced at Harry's use of Voldemort's name, "Well, pretty powerful. You know, Hogsmeade is even shut down because of their influence. After our first year things started getting really bad. I mean, don't get me wrong, a Deatheater doesn't just walk down the streets proclaiming they are one, but a lot of them have been found out, like Draco's wanker of a father and once they're found out they sort of go wild with it. You can only hide things for so long I suppose. Mum doesn't really let us get all the information in the newspaper, but Hermione owled me the other day about an attack in Birmingham. Fifteen muggles were killed, as well as a muggleborn."

Digesting the information, Harry was about to continue his questioning when a voice from behind had blasts of freezing horror shooting down his back.

"Why are you talking about deatheaters, Harry?"

Ron's eyes widened and he stuttered something before vanishing from the fireplace as Harry whirled around to face his little brother.

"Well?" Ethan prodded, leaning against the door frame.

Defensive instinct immediately turned into Offensive for Harry, and his eyes narrowed, "Why exactly were you listening to my private conversation, Ethan?"

His brother looked a little surprised at the anger growing in Harry's eyes, "You were in here for so long – and I wanted to use the firepl-"

"So?" Harry snapped, "The door was closed – I was using it, you shouldn't have interrupted. You should have waited! And then you thought to listen in? What the hell, Ethan?"

The youngest Potter's hands curled into fists, "Oh give it a bloody rest, Harry. You aren't some god to go about dictating where I can go in this house. Merlin! It always has to be about you, doesn't? Perfect Harry, King of the universe! Oh, and with a giant ego to match." Ethan spat furiously, his cheeks red at being told off by his brother.

And the worry at being found out, along with the irrational anger at his brother then blew into humungous proportion, and Harry launched at his brother sending the two of them tumbling to the ground in a whirlwind of fists and legs.

"You stupid brat!" Harry shouted as his fist caught the edge of Ethan's jaw.

"Bloody areshole, get off me!" Ethan wailed back, managing to knock the air out of Harry with a well placed knee to his stomach.

Within minutes Harry found himself being hauled off his brother by strong arms.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" A very angry, very scary Lily Potter shrieked as she surveyed her two sons, both bruised and breathing with some difficulty.

His father released Harry as Ethan scrambled to his feet, their angry gazes turned to dust beneath the wrath of their mother.

"Lily, calm down," James began, but the boys' mother would have none of it and instead turned blazing green eyes on her children.

Both Harry and Ethan felt very small all of a sudden and stepped back unwittingly.

"No. Look at them, James! Look what they did to eachother! And on CHRISTMAS! You, you –" Lily looked at a loss for words and instead pointed one damning index finger to the door, "Both of you UPSTAIRS. And don't you dare even show your faces down here today after how disgracefully you've acted. It's Christmas, and we're FAMILY. And you two are in SO much trouble. Go. Now."

Not needing to be told twice, the two boys sped out of the study as if their shoes were on fire. They both reached the staircase at the same time, and crept up it silently. At the top, as they each turned to go to their own separate rooms, Ethan sighed.

Harry turned and looked at his little brother, taking in his black eye and bruised face and sighed as well.

"I don't really hate you." Ethan mumbled crossly beneath his breath.

"I was an idiot," Harry relented, "You're not a brat. Most of the time."

Ethan grinned and suddenly, like that, they were all right again. "Mum is going to kill us, you know."

"I know," Harry grinned back, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulders, "Come on, let's go play a board game or something before she breaks all our fingers-"

And laughing, they set off toward Harry's room.

* * *

**H**aving found the boys friends once more, Lily had been appeased enough to only ground them for the rest of their holiday. Unfortunately for Harry, this had been a particularly bad punishment as he wasn't able to contact Ron again, and being hauled up at home had made his mind murky with even more thoughts and questions.

A few days past Christmas had found Lily and Ethan travelling to Diagon Alley to pick up some new school clothes for the youngest Potter, and Harry had decided that this would be a particularly good time to visit the Weasleys.

Shrugging on a coat, Harry had wandered down to the lounge where his father was reading. Walking over to the fireplace he reached for the bag of floo powder that lay on the mantle.

"Er, Harry where do you think you're going?" James lifted an eyebrow as he put down the text he had been pouring over.

"To visit Ron for a bit," Harry offered.

James laughed, "No, Harry."

"No?" Harry turned, surprised, "What?"

"You're grounded, my boy. In case you don't remember. That means no visits to your friend's house."

Harry's mouth dropped. Even when he had been at the Dursley's he had always been able to go visit the Weasleys despite them being against it, "What? But Ethan went yesterday!"

"For a project."

"Dad, come on," Harry's tone was becoming frustrated, "Since when do you even care about this stuff?"

James' expression set and he stood, "Harry, you're not going."

"That's not FAIR!" Harry said angrily, "I. Want. To. Go." His father walked past him and swung open the door that led to their back gardens. "Dad, you're being so ridiculous, I'm going and –"

"It's perfectly fair, and I'm not going to stand here and argue with you. Out. Argue with the trees all you want."

Harry mouthed wordlessly at his father before his expression turned stormy, "You are the worst father EVER." He snapped, striding past James and walking outside, slamming the door behind him.

Angrily kicking a nearby Christmas gnome away, Harry stomped through the back garden toward the forested area toward the back of the Potters' land. He dug his heels in deep, creating large footprints in the previously unmarred snow, and taking great pleasure in destroying something.

But as quickly as his anger had come, it quickly drained, and Harry began to feel very guilty. Leaning against a tree trunk he looked back towards the manor and felt tears begin to burn at his eyes. His father was angry at him.

And suddenly Harry felt as if he was the worst person ever.

As a child, Harry had stared up at the ceiling of his cupboard and knew, just _knew_, that if he was ever given the gift of a family, that he would be the perfect child. He wanted it _so_ much: a family, parents, love. He would have done anything to get it. He wouldn't have taken it for granted. Ever.

But here he was, given the gift, and he wasn't being the perfect child. Not in the least. He was being rotten, throwing tantrums like Dudley, and saying words meant to hurt his parents in order to get them to give in. More tears flooded Harry's eyes and putting his head on his knees, he gave into the sick feeling in his head and let himself drift off into a restless sleep.

When Harry finally opened his eyes again, it was to greet a darkened sky. Sharp pains stabbed his neck as he moved, having had fallen asleep in an awkward angle against the tree behind him.

For a moment he couldn't quite think straight before the events of the afternoon came back to him. Standing (wincing as he did so), he stretched. His mind was made up to go in and apologize like nobody's business - although given the color of the night sky, his father would probably be furious with him for having disappeared like that.

Hoping he wouldn't get into too much trouble, Harry began to make his way out of the forest. A few minutes of walking had him facing his house, and instantly blasts of orange and red lights greeted him.

People surrounded the house, various carriages with flashing lights covering every inch of the periphery. Vaguely, Harry thought about how his mother would be particularly irritated as she hated having the snow around the house darkened by mud when people walked all over it.

His feet took him all the more faster toward the Manor, his heartbeat racing, blood roaring in his ears. Merlin, his parents must've thought he went missing and sent for an emergency squad. They would be furious to find that he had but fallen asleep.

Nearing the crowd, a tall bald man with a gold earring that looked vaguely familiar to Harry turned around.

"Harry-" He started, a strange expression on his face.

"Hey, I'm okay, I wasn't missing, I just fell asleep – can you call my Mum and Dad? We don't need this search squad." Harry was talking quickly, his pulse speeding as he blinked rapidly.

"Harry." The man said again, this time more softly.

And unwillingly, though some part of him had known that this wasn't a search squad, Harry's eyes flashed up toward the sky. There, above the house, he was greeted by the eerie glowing smile of the dark mark.

**To be continued …**

So the Potters home has been **attacked**! Is someone **dead?** Who was the** Deatheater** who did it? All this and more **NEXT CHAPTER** – it's going to be dramatic! So, please do **REVIEW! **And as always I will reply to all your reviews – because they mean a lot to me :D Let me know my fans are still out there!


	18. Untruths of the Undead

Updated A/N: So, we finally get here! This was the first new chapter of HP and the WOL for literally years. I posted it for about a week in the summer of 2010 before I decided to rewrite the previous chapters to better integrate my writing style from 2002 with the newer chapters of 2010. The below is the author's note I posted in 2010:

Well, Hello! It's been a very long time, I know. A few things I want to make clear: This story will never be abandoned, I just need to find the energy and time to write it. Secondly, I appreciate the comments so much. It was** seeing the reviews pop up in my inbox** that made me constantly remember this story and wistfully make plans to start writing again. I seriously **adore you guys**.

Obviously, as mentioned in the previous chapter – after the loss of all the previously written stuff (Which included scenes from various chapters plus the general outline of the story) I was majorly discouraged as so much though and even secret twists I had planned were lost. Further to this, I completed a degree in microbiology and began a professional school which in one year will make me Dr. Usako3000. In 2007 my Grandmother who was literally my heart passed away and dealing with this has been extremely difficult.

That said, last summer when I was in England, I did something I never thought I would do and showed some of my family my writing. Imagine my surprise when they excitedly read the story and asked for more, more! Once more, this summer the same thing happened. That, and I watched a Very Potter Sequel about 5 times which brought me zooming back into the pseudo-fandom. So, I'm baaaaaaackkkkkkkk!

This chapter is shorter than usual, mainly because I wanted to complete it and publish instead of dawdling about. I would also like to see if interest still exists in this story, so please let me know! I will respond to reviews via the review answer thingy.

There also seems to be some formatting issues with previous chapters so I will redo them. And with no further ado:

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 18**

**Untruths of the Undead**

* * *

_Last Chapter:_

_And unwillingly, though some part of him had somehow known that this wasn't a search squad, Harry's eyes flashed up toward the sky. There, above the house, he was greeted by the eerie glowing smile of the dark mark._

**H**arry felt all the air rush out of him as if a giant fist had just knocked into his stomach. His body became distinctly colder. His fingers were so numb it was painful just to move them.

He fixated on the glowing green skull that danced excitedly in the stars above his house and, blinded by the tears that were flooding his eyes, Harry knocked through the crowd of people standing in front of the mansion.

The tall man tried to make a grab for him, but Harry shook off his hand and ran through the backdoor. Unable to breathe properly, he gasped for air, his throat and lungs burning sharply.

The corridors were a blur of mahogany and shimmering holiday decorations as Harry stumbled through them, choking on his own breath. Once he managed to get his breath back, he hollered brokenly, "DAD! DAD! MUM! ETHAN!"

The words echoed emptily through the hallways, and Harry's chest was tightening with every second that passed. He heard a house elf call his name as he ran past. He saw a rat chewing on a basket of Christmas candies that had toppled over. He felt his heart beating faster than it had ever beat before.

He couldn't stand to shout anymore, and so just ran down the corridor as if he could run straight out of this nightmare and back into the happy world he had come to love. His lungs burning, Harry became aware of a gentle hum of mumbling coming from his right, and veering quickly he reached the entrance of the study, seeing a huddle of people in its center.

"Harry!" Immediately he was caught in his brother's embrace, so tight that he felt like his ribs would crack, but yet so craved it wouldn't have mattered if they did.

He stood like a ghost for a moment, surveying the scene when green eyes that matched his own met his.

"Oh, Harry!" His mother looked absolutely relieved as she rushed toward him, eyes red and with tear stained cheeks.

"Mum-" Harry gasped, suddenly unable to keep the tears from spilling out of his eyes. His body felt like it was seconds away from going limp.

"Where were you Harry? Oh we were so worried-" Lily choked out, cradling both of her sons to her. Her arms were slender and small but their strength was remarkable, wrapped around the boys, unwilling to let go.

"I fell asleep outside, Dad and I had a row and-….Where's Dad?"

Ethan let go of Harry and moved back.

"Where's Dad?" Harry repeated.

Lily looked like she was going to be ill, and a gentle voice came from behind her as Lupin approached them, breaking away from the crowd of people who had been discussing something in low voices.

"Harry, a Deatheater broke into the house and cast the killing curse on your father."

His stomach dropped to his knees, and Harry felt as if he was going to wretch.

"He's not dead though, Harry." Lupin quickly added on, "The spell was badly cast, so it didn't operate the way it should have. He's unconscious, though. Heartbeat is very slow and magic is almost untraceable. Lily," He turned to his best friend's wife, "speaking of which, we should make our way to the hospital now that we know Harry is safe."

Lily nodded, her face pale.

The tall black man appeared in the doorway to the study, "They've combed the house, Lily, we'll be keeping aurors here through the night, the boys will be safe."

"Wait a minute-" Harry burst out, "if Dad's in the hospital then –"

"No, Harry." Remus said firmly, "He's in emergency right now, and they don't allow minors."

"But-"

"As soon as you can I will floo here and bring you there, alright?"

He was too exhausted to argue, and nodding, Harry agreed.

The tall man examined the two Potter boys and gestured toward the other members in the study, "Oi, let's take it outside."

As the others sent the boys sympathetic looks, the man with the earring smiled at them, "We'll be in the hallways if you need anything."

"Thanks, Kingsley." Harry said absently, a trigger inside unconsciously reminding him of the man's name. Lily reluctantly let go of her sons and followed Lupin. The scenario suddenly became very real to Harry. His Father was on the brink of death. In the hospital.

He had never realised how loving someone so much could make life so much more painful.

* * *

**I**t'd been twenty minutes since his mother had left for St. Mungo's. Neither Potter brother had moved from the study and instead sat in silence until one of the house elves came in to offer them some tea.

"Dad was so mad at me when he sent me outside." Harry blurted quietly, an embarrassed flush coloring his cheeks as he remembered his selfish words to James.

Ethan looked up at his brother, his face looking much younger than usual, "Harry, you know you're Dad's favourite, even when he's mad at you he still thinks you're, like: god's gift."

"I'm not Dad's favourite." Harry said flatly, though the fact that his brother said that had his spirits lifting. Then his thoughts turned sour once more. "I bet it was Malfoy, you know?"

"No." Ethan shook his head, strands of auburn hair falling into his eyes, "They said there was no sign of a forced entry. They think it must be someone Dad knew."

Immediately Harry's mind imagined the scene: His father opening the door to whoever it was, smiling widely and inviting them in. He ushered them to the study, turned his back for a moment and then when he turned back ….

A shudder ran through his lithe form at the scenario.

There was a sudden commotion from outside and Harry distinctly heard two of the elves talking in high pitched squeaky voices.

"We've never had mice before!"

"It was eating all the candy!"

"Are you sure it went down this hall, Ibby?"

Harry's mind vaguely interpreted these statements, an image of the rat he had seen earlier munching on the candy flashing through his head. Gross. His mother would have had a fit if she had known there had been ….

Shit.

It all made sense, and immediately Harry had jumped to his feet, launching across the table to reach his wand. "ETHAN, get your wand!" As the teacups on the table overturned, tea splashing onto the carpet, and Harry's hand was just closing around the familiar wood of his wand, there was the roar of "Expelliramus!" from behind them. Both wands went hurtling through the air and as Harry turned to watch them, came face to face with the balding, sweating form of Petter Pettigrew.

"Uncle Peter?" Ethan exclaimed in shock, brown eyes round in surprise.

"Amazing," Peter remarked, rubbing the hand that held their wands against his forehead, "You put two and two together quite fast Harry. I always knew your father was remarkably stupid, but I didn't think that his_ kid_ could out reason him." He cast a silencing charm on the room before wiping his face again.

"You filthy rat!" Harry spat angrily, "You no-good-for-nothing _bastard_, you were NOTHING without my father."

"Have you gone mad?" Ethan chimed in. Harry distantly noticed that with his face set in such a furious manner, he looked more like their father than Harry did. "Did you do this Peter? Dad thought of you as a brother!"

"A BROTHER!" Peter shrieked, his eyes shining with mad glee, "If I was a _brother _I was the brother they all abused! The worst was when they took that THING off the street – SNAPE – our ENEMY and suddenly he was their best friend? The guy they would trust on missions? They didn't know him like I did … A day would come when he would betray them, they would all suffer, but why wait? It's not fair if I was denied the pleasure, it's only right that I do it first. Afterall, I'd started the wheels turning long ago." He was spitting insanely, eyes flitting between the two brothers. "Go on then, Ethan. Back away. It's not you I'm here for." Beady eyes matched against green, and Peter wiped his mouth against the sleeve of his outstretched arm.

"You have to be bloody kidding me!" Ethan snarled, "I'm not going anywhere-"

"Ethan," Harry warned, stepping in between his little brother and Peter in case the man should choose to hurt the redhead.

"You're sick-" Ethan's hands were clenched into fists, "And pathetic. You wonder why they didn't want you on missions? You couldn't even cast a killing curse properly! You sucked as an auror _and_ as a Deatheater!"

"CRUCIO!" Peter's eyes shone wide with madness and it was all Harry could do to push his younger brother to the ground, taking the spell for him.

Familiar or not, the pain was excruciating. He felt as if his eyeballs would burst. Harry's screams of agony were interlaced with Ethan's horrified shouts and Peter's insane laughter.

And then suddenly, it was over and he was panting on the ground, every limb trembling.

"Harry!" Ethan was sobbing, grabbing at his brother, "Harry!"

Through bleared eyes, Harry looked over at Peter. The fat man was smiling oddly, the white of his eyes very bright. "Does it make you feel good, Peter? To hurt children?"

"Not really." Peter tilted his head, "Though, the fact that you look like James helped with that." He smirked, "Face it kids, its over. You're going to die Harry, and the Dark Lord will take over. I may have failed with killing your father, but having him awake to a world where The Dark Lord is all powerful and his son is dead? It's not too shabby to say the least."

He pointed his wand straight at Harry. Ethan jumped to his feet but Harry grabbed him by the arm tightly, eyes never leaving Peter.

In all honesty, Harry hated Voldemort, but Peter Pettigrew was the true top of his list. Traitor. Creature. Enemy.

"At least I got to see the look on your father's face. Ohhh, he looked so happy when he saw me at the door – ushered me in, and then…" Peter cackled, "The expression on his face when he saw the green light racing at him? Why, it was _exactly_ the same as **Sirius** had had."

And all Harry saw was red.

Red was everywhere. Streams and streams of red light were blasting throughout the room, slamming Peter against the wall. Red was the shield that repelled Peter's spells as he moved toward the potato shaped man and punched him in the face. Red was what began dripping from Peter's nose. Red was all he saw as he began to strangle the Rat.

* * *

**Four Years Ago**

**R**ed was everywhere at Peter's funeral: the Gryffindor streamer that overlay his empty casket, the flowers that stood at the front of the church and the lipstick that all the women wore on their downturned mouths.

Even the suit ties that Harry and Ethan were placed in had the smallest red signature symbol on the tips, though these were tucked beneath their jacket lapels, hidden from the world.

Nymphadora Tonks, Remus' girlfriend sat beside the two potter brothers while the rest of their family stood at the altar.

"Your hair is black-" Ethan whispered to Tonks who smiled sadly down at the boy, "Yes, I know."

"But you said you didn't like it when your hair was black-" Ethan continued as Harry nodded in agreeance. It was something that she oft would trumpet about at any family gatherings, "I hate wearing my hair black! Yes, Lil, I know it looks better but it reminds of me of that awful family I come from – Sorry, Sirius, I mean, it gives _you_ a type of buggery charm, but _still_ –"

"Yes, but Peter deserves to be mourned properly." She said solemnly, and the two boys hushed in silence.

It was odd. Death. It snuck up on you and suddenly consumed your life. One day you were just two kids playing games, telling your brother about your first semester at Hogwarts and the next a firecall had arrived and your mother was crying and your father was rushing away in a hurry of flames and you learned that Uncle Peter had died and was never ever coming back.

Speaking for the group, Sirius was ending the eulogy. "Peter Pettigrew was a small boy we were blessed to have met at age eleven, and he grew into a man who always wanted to better himself. He was our best friend, and he is missed." Sirius' turned and dropped a red rose on the casket, his voice choking with emotion.

* * *

Choke. Choke. Choke.

Amidst the roaring in his ears Harry was dimly aware of Ethan screaming at him and hands grasping at him to pull him away.

Peter's eyes were bulging and his hands scraped uselessly against Harry's own.

He was choking Peter Pettigrew.

He was going to KILL Peter Pettigrew.

And then it all went black.

**To be Continued…**

Will **James make it**? Did **Harry kill Peter**? Do **you think that it is in Harry to kill**? All this and more, next chapter! PLUS a big reveal! Please read and review! As the _first new chapter, I really hope to hear from you lot with your thoughts and ideas - I promise to work faster :D_

_**Please Review!**  
_


	19. Anger Management

Hi there and welcome to what I like to consider the most epic chapter of the story, yet :D When I hit my writing buzz, this chapter flew easily out of my fingers – there is a plot point toward the end of the chapter (so as not to spoil anyone I will say: Map) that was an extremely creative way for me to incorporate some plot points that I'd always known would happen.

Although no where near the end of the story, this chapter is sort of one of the biggest climaxes – I can barely believe that it's finally written! **I do so hope you all enjoy and more than any other chapter before: REVIEW THIS ONE.** I **SO SO SO** want feedback and thoughts and commentary because this chapter was a labor of love and inspiration.

Our previous winner of one of the special questions has her name mentioned in this chapter! Hope you enjoy – loyal readers deserve it best!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Hope you enjoy your delicious treat at the end of the chapter :D

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 19**

**Anger Management**

* * *

**U**nlike his numerous previous blackouts, this time when Harry awoke it was in severe pain. His joints felt as if they were burning with ice fire and every inch of his body ached.

It was agony.

Straining to move and open his eyes, Harry found himself panicking before a calm voice fell upon him.

"Don't push yourself, Harry. Just try your best."

"Poppa-" He cried out, attempting to open eyes which seemed glued shut, the eyelashes that surrounded them somehow feeling damnably knotted.

"Harry, _slowly_."

Biting back the fear, Harry tried to calm his body. Slowly he pulled his eyes open bringin everything into blurry focus. He was in his bedroom, the slanted ceiling a comforting sight for him.

After a moment of silence, filled only with Harry's rasping breaths, he spoke. "Did I kill him, Poppa?" Harry asked as he stared up through his skylight at the black sky above. There was no trace of the glowing dark mark between the stars now. Maybe if you killed the caster the mark would vanish with them.

Dumbledore looked at his descendent with still blue eyes, "Harry-"

"Did I KILL him, Poppa? Don't draw it out! Just tell me the fact!"

The headmaster shook his head, "No, Harry, he's alive."

"What a pity." And immediately as he said the words, the weight of them caught him in his stomach and he sat up, gasping, with a bitter taste filling his mouth. "Oh, god, what's wrong with me. I …. I couldn't control myself – I was just so angry, I was just like hi-"

"Don't say it, Harry." Dumbledore interrupted sharply, "Just stop. You were under great emotional stress, your magic spiralled out of control-"

"No! But - I wanted to kill him! I was so angry, I wanted to stop him from breathing, I wanted to make sure he never spoke another w-"

"**Harry!**" Dumbledore's stern voice resounded in the room, and Harry fell silent. "_He_ has **no** part of you, _understand_? It was a regular response. You were under great stress."

Not comforted in the least and fairly sure Dumbledore's words were an attempt to convince his own self rather than Harry, Harry looked away. "How's my Dad?"

"He's still unconscious but his magic has stabilized slightly. The rest of the family is with him now."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just the night." The headmaster snapped his fingers for a house elf.

As the elf disappeared and reappeared with a plate of steaming grilled cheese, Harry looked at his grandfather once more. "They caught him though, right? He – he said that he was the one who-"

"Yes, and I know." Dumbledore's voice was still and calm. "Don't excite yourself, Harry. Just rest tonight. Your uncle brought you some sleeping drought-" he gestured toward the bedside table, "everything can wait until tomorrow."

Harry was so weak he didn't think to argue. Inside him though, the stirrings of something he hadn't felt since he had been looking through Voldemort's eyes, had him feeling uneasy. The only time he had ever felt such anger and rage had been when he had felt Voldemort's feelings. It couldn't be a good thing that those own feelings had now risen in Harry himself.

Voldemort may not have a part of Harry, but Harry felt as if maybe a part of him was _just_ like Voldemort.

* * *

**T**he next day came with the promise of being a difficult one, indeed. Walking through the strangely sterile hallways of 's, Harry had felt odd. There was such a mix of people, from the visitors and administrative staff talking as if tomorrow couldn't come soon enough and the grieving family members to whom it seemed tomorrow would never come again.

It was even odder walking into his father's room and seeing the dramatically comedic and vibrant James Potter cold and pale, as still as if he was dead.

Harry had steeled himself against this of course, prepared his mind, but yet his knees still buckled and Lupin who had brought him to the hospital had had to grab him so he wouldn't hit the floor.

Harry was wholly used to a reality where his father was dead, but…well, he had never had had to _see_ him that way.

"I'm going to be ill-" Harry choked, still half way toward the ground.

"Maybe we should go outside for a minute," Lupin began kindly.

Shaking his head, Harry pulled himself to his feet and threw himself onto his father's side, sobbing. "Daddy, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

* * *

**H**ours later when he was more composed and alone with his father, Harry touched the cold hand that lay on the bed, "I would've killed him for you, Dad. For you and Sirius – but that's the last thing you'd have wanted me to do, right?"

James gave no response, which Harry took as meaning he was glad his son was not a cold blooded murderer.

Well, technically anyway. Morbidly, Harry reminded himself of how many deaths were on his shoulders.

Again that Voldemort like voice squealed inside him: Pity that Peter couldn't have joined them.

* * *

**H**ospital life was a strange phenomenon. So many people had to go through it at some point in their lives when a loved one took ill, but no one ever talked about it. Ultimately this resulted in everyone being completely unprepared for how depressing and exhausting it was. How absolutely consuming it became. How miserable those sterile ghastly colored walls were. And, of course, how everyday it felt so familiar and so terrible all at once.

Lily stayed by James' side permanently while Remus and Tonks moved into Godric's Hollow for the week to help shuttle the boys back and forth. Arulbella Figg, apparently a cousin of his old neighbour (but much younger and much more beautiful) arrived to stay with Lily. Harry learned quickly that she was Sirius' widow and though she seemed quite loving, avoided her out of pure guilt. Arulbella, thinking him to be bereaved, let him be.

Soon, it was time for school and despite the boys' futile arguments, they were sent back to Hogwarts. Tonks took over for the Potters in DADD and either she, Remus or Snape would accompany the boys to the hospital on the weekends.

Dumbledore implemented Harry's Occlumency lessons via Pensieve, which Harry found wholly useless: watching himself be taught without any of the sensations himself, yet the memories began to trigger understanding in himself, like riding a bicycle and he began to practice mental blocks during what little free time he had. Afterall, OWLs were nigh and time was flying fast.

* * *

**I**t was late January when Harry and Ron found themselves scolded by Hermione as they copied references from her Charms Paper.

"Honestly, I don't think you two are learning ANYTHING from this school!" She rolled her eyes.

"I'm learning from you, Hermione!" Ron defended, only to turn red when Harry followed up with, "I'm sure you are."

"Oh, keep up the comedy routine, Harry, I'm three seconds away from taking my paper back and –"

**SLAM**

The portrait to the Gryffindor common room shut with such force that the walls seemed to shake. A small first year, Catherine jumped startled from where she had been napping near the fireplace.

"Parvati?" Ron began to voice in surprise as the young woman who had just stumbled in rushed past them in a flurry of bright color and long black hair, obviously upset. Instantly, Hermione was on her feet and taking the stairs by the twos behind her friend.

Blinking, Harry turned to Ron, "What was that about?"

Ron's eyes were still at the staircase, "I have no idea. Maybe she and Draco had a row?"

They postulated about it for a few minutes (Draco had probably not realised she had cut her hair or some other inane routine that females placed great importance on) before happily getting back to their plagiarism.

Almost half an hour had passed before there was knocking on the portrait hole. As anyone could have been guessed, Draco was standing there, looking quite wild and confused.

"Hey, mate." Harry greeted, letting the boy inside. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ron wiped the ink on his hands onto his trousers, "Parvati rushed in looking upset."

Draco's face was grim, "Yeah, can I speak to her?"

"What's he doing here?" Hermione's voice rang firm and accusatory as she stepped down from the girls' staircase.

"Mione!" Harry admonished, surprised at how rude she was.

Draco turned to face the brown haired girl. "Hermione, I just want to-"

"Draco, save it and just leave."

Harry himself felt a stone drop in his stomach at her tone. It was the kind of no nonsense intonation McGonagall used when she was deathly serious. Both Ron and Harry were hushed in the face of this intensity.

Draco's face contorted for a moment. He looked one moment away from either reaching for his wand or lashing out with his fists.

"Listen, Hermione, it's probably just a small misunderstanding, let them work it out-" Ron began, looking back and forth between the blonde and the girl.

Hermione glanced over at the redhead, and then back at Draco. Their eyes met for one long challenging moment.

"She'll want to see me right now." Draco attempted, seeming to have received some explanation in Hermione's eyes.

"Maybe. But that is not what is best for her. I'm here now, Draco, so you can deal with me. And my answer is: Leave."

Another pregnant moment passed during which Draco looked as if he was contemplating murder before he let out a strangled sound of rage, stormed to the portrait hole and left with nary a goodbye to the boys.

The tension in the room vanished, and the three Gryffindors stood alone once more.

"Merlin, 'Mione – what the hell was that about?" Ron's hands were flinging everywhere as he spoke, "What happened between them?"

Hermione shook her head, "It's their story, Ron. I think I'm going to go up to bed, could you just return the scroll to me tomorrow?"

Still somewhat dumbfounded, Harry nodded slowly.

"Goodnight boys." And she once more took on the stairs that led to the mysteries of what girls know.

* * *

**F**or two days, Parvati didn't attend classes or meals. Yet, once she reappeared, things took on a peculiar normalcy aside from the fact that Draco and her no longer sat beside each other and when either one of them was near the trio, the other stayed far, far away.

Beyond curious, both Ron and Harry had attempted to breach the subject with Draco, but the blonde rebuked the chance to explain, looking both ill and angry at the topic.

Regardless, the tense atmosphere was not for long, as soon it was the middle of February and half-term break was nigh. As James was still hospitalized, Ethan and Harry were sent to stay with Snape. With three wards to look after, Snape was forced to abandon his hope to spend the holidays in his suite at Hogwarts and instead brought the boys to his house at Spinner's End.

As one could very well imagine, Spinner's End was dingy, dark and _extremely_ dusty. Upon entering the dwelling, a thick musty smell clouded the boys' faces.

"Harry!" Ethan exclaimed excitedly, "It smells just like the attic at home! How amazing!"

"Ethan, that smell is just years of thick dust and skin flakes." Draco deadpanned in response, throwing his shoe at a spindly looking spider that had approached them. "It's universal."

Snape often left for business with the Order, so in between visits to the hospital, the boys quickly took to strapping on makeshift masks made from tea-towels and exploring the nooks and crannies of the house.

It was their third day there when Ethan noticed a pile of unopened mail in the shed. He had seen a big white and black owl dropping an envelope there in the morning, and when the boys went to examine the small building, found piles of cobwebbed mail dating back throughout the last two years.

"Look!" Ethan grabbed a thick roll of crinkly parchment from the ground, "A map!"

"Ethan, I don't think we should touch Uncle's mail-" Harry began.

"Oh, shut up, Potter-" Draco rolled his eyes, "You pick _now_ of all times to not be recklessly adventurous? Snape clearly doesn't care for this mail."

"Yeah, but-"

Ethan was already unfurling the parchment onto the ground. It took up almost half of the shed's ground space when fully open, showcasing a carefully calligraphed image of Europe and the United Kingdom. The ink of the map was thick and black, melting into the crinkling creases that crept like insect legs all over the parchment. Peppered sporadically throughout the landmasses were small green squares about the size of a large stamp.

"Weird," Harry noted, fixing his glasses, "I wonder why anyone would send a map."

"Well, why does anyone send a gift? Snape must love maps. Just like you love tightie-whities if Aunt Leon- Ow!" Harry didn't even let Draco finish his taunt before punching him in the arm.

It was then that one of the spindly spiders that Spinner's End was famous for crept onto the map.

Draco was just reaching for his shoe when it crawled over one of the green squares and vanished.

"What the hell?" Ethan blurted, peering closed to where the spider had vanished.

"Don't touch it!" Harry ordered, slapping his brother's hands away from the parchment.

Meanwhile, Draco's eyes had lit. "Okay, if I'm not back in five minutes, tell the Professor."

"What? No way, you are out of your fuc-" Harry began to shout, but it was too late. Draco leaned forward and pressed his wand against a green square in Spain.

He was gone before Harry could even reach out to strangle him.

"Shit!" Both Potter boys cursed in unison, before staring solemnly at the map in thick silence. Three tense minutes sped by before Draco reappeared, looking nauseous.

"You absolute NUTTER!" Harry shouted, grabbing the boy by his shoulders and shaking him.

"Get off me!" Draco yelled back, shoving Harry's hands off him, "I'm already dizzy enough, you maniac." He huffed and smoothed his shirt down before peering up at them over his nose, "It's like a portkey."

"The map is a portkey?" Ethan asked, still examining it without touching lest his brother decide to slap him again.

"Sort of, its usually government type magic because it costs a lot to make the maps and return portals. You can usually only go into each place two or three times before the magic runs out."

"Where did you go?" Harry asked, still irritated.

"I dunno, a little town somewhere, it was neat, really rural. Heard cool music."

"How did you get back?"

"Wherever you land, there's usually a small square somewhere where your feet initially touch. You just need to touch it again."

"Lets go!" Ethan began excitedly.

In the absence of Hermione, Harry felt as if he should be the rational mind here, but the idea _was_ exciting. It was, at the very least, better than fending of spiders and breathing clumps of dust all day. Harry was _certain_ he had begun developing asthma as a result of this holiday.

Ethan and Draco were staring at him expectantly.

"Alright, but one of us will stay here each time and we'll have a set time limit to explore."

And so began their travels.

Ethan and Draco went first, choosing a place in Scotland which ended up to be a Bog somewhere. They both came back grinning and smelling like …well, bog. Next, Harry and Draco found themselves in a small town in Ireland where they bought ice lollies and watched a folk dance in the square. In comparison, Ethan and Harry had a miserable adventure together as they ended up in a creepy path beside a graveyard during a storm. They quickly mapped back home.

It gave the boys a source of enjoyment and the thrill of doing something quite mischievous. Snape was not told about their discovery, or their trips, and so on their holiday of mystery continued.

The third day of travels had Draco and Harry choosing a place in the south of France. Landing in an empty field, they looked around disappointedly.

"Well, this sucks." Draco coughed, kicking at a nearby rock.

"It's really abandoned here-" Harry noted, looking around. The area around them appeared to be all farmland that had long since been forgotten. Weeds grew everywhere and the smell of manure permeated the air.

"Let's go back." Draco began moving back toward the square.

"Or we could race?" Harry grinned innocently.

Draco turned back toward him with a challenging glint in his eye, and without a word the two boys took off in a dead run.

They tore through the fields laughing, each gaining at one point or another but never by far.

His thighs and lungs burning, Harry ran until the point of throwing up before collapsing to the floor dramatically.

"I win, I win-" Gasped Draco, taking two steps past him before bending over and panting.

"I'm going to vomit blood." Harry moaned into the grass.

It was then they became aware of the cawing of crows overhead.

"We're not dead yet!" Draco shouted at them, but blinked as he realised they were circling a little ways off from where they stood. Far on the horizon, a small wooden cabin stood, almost coated in moss and ivy. Behind the shed the birds were circling wildly. "Hey, Harry-"

But Harry was already getting to his feet, walking toward the area. "Something's there Draco-"

Taking his wand out, Draco slowly followed.

They walked the ten minutes it took to get to the cabin. A stench so strong wormed its way into their nostrils, that for a moment Harry felt as if he'd pass out.

"The door is broken here-" Draco was peering at the entrance of the cabin. Harry, however, was not looking at the door but rather at the pressed grass that lead from it… the pressed grass that looked as if someone had dragged themselves over a long period of time over it, the pressed grass that led to the collapsed figure of a man in the distance.

"What the hell-" Harry was already running toward the destroyed figure. The man was crudely clothed in tatters of what once must have been clothes. He was covered with blood, and his legs seemed broken.

"He's dead, what do we do?!" Harry asked in horror as Draco approached warily.

"We should go tell Uncle Severus-" Draco had his arm thrown over his nose to shield it from the smell of the man.

It was then there was the slightest rasping breath and Harry turned in horror. "He's alive?! We have to help him –" He was leaning down and turning the man over even as Draco was shouting at him to wait.

"He could be faking! He could be a killer!"

But as Harry came to face the man, he turned to the side and vomited out of the pure terror and emotion that scalded his veins.

It was Sirius.

**TO BE CONTINUED….**

All that hoopla comes down to this moment! **Will Sirius survive? Will James**? And now it's time for questions:

As** celebration of finally reaching this moment in the story:** I'm giving **two questions, whoever answers one correctly WITH reasoning of some sort will get their name mentioned in a chapter as a character or a pet or something.**

1. What do you all think went down between Draco and Parvati? There is a slight hint in this chapter and if anyone guesses correctly then they may find their username popping up in a chapter somewhere as the name of a pet or something!

2. Any speculation on the map + why it was in Snape's shed?

_Other feedback I would love:_

There is a throw back to an earlier chapter in this chapter…can you figure it out?

**HOW HAPPY/HORRIFIED ARE YOU RIGHT NOW WITH THE ENDING?!**

The next chapter will be Draco-centric (as in told from his POV like the Lily chapter). **And as always, your reviews are my fuel! So please do review if you would like to see more!**

**Also check out my new story: Three Wizard Tots and a Potions Master  
**

- Usako3000


	20. His Father's Son

This chapter was originally meant to be a small interlude akin to Chapter 14: A Mother's Loss (Lily) but from Draco's POV, resulting in a HUGE chapter. You will learn a lot about **Draco's** past as well as the '_what happened last year_' issue that all the characters remind Harry about.

In terms of the map, no one made exactly accurate guesses but some were quite close, they will be honored when it's closer to revealing the answer. In the meantime thanks to Ginny-T-Potter and my Guest reviewers since I cannot reply to your reviews!

I am nervous about this chapter so I hope you all like it and** take the time to review**. It is much **darker** than Harry's story so far, so please enjoy…

As always it is your constant reviews that keep pushing me to write more! :D

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 20 - Interlude II – Draco Malfoy**

**His Father's Son**

* * *

**S**ince the beginning of wizarding times, being a Malfoy meant both great wealth and great responsibility. When one was born into a pureblood lineage there were a few rules: Tradition first and foremost. Sentimentality second to discipline and appropriateness. You were your father's son and you had to hold yourself accordingly.

Yes, the life of an heir was simultaneously indulgent and rigid. Severe burdens were placed on small shoulders with equally as severe punishments forthcoming if one failed to bear said burdens well. Yes, that was historically all accurate, but regardless, Draco distinctly remembered that a long time ago, in the early days, his father was different….

* * *

**T**hree year old Draco looked very much like a cherubic angel as he ran about the cobblestone streets in front of the ministry, impatiently waiting for his Father to finish discussing a case with an elderly wizard decked in green and yellow robes.

Tripping suddenly, Draco hit his knee against a particularly rounded red stone. He yelped in pain as blood blossomed on his knees, the skin of his palms rubbing off as he reached out to catch himself..

Oh it was _horrible_! The pain! Would he die!? He wished his mother was here.

Tears began to burn their way down his cheeks and the small boy began to cry silently. His father was quite solemn and didn't appreciate noise, so Draco was sure he wouldn't want his son wailing while he conducted business.

Moments later, Lucius' voice came booming, "Draco?" Draco was trying too hard to keep from sobbing out loud to even look up.

"Draco?" A shadow fell over him as his father leaned down, "You're hurt?" A gloved hand tipped his son's chin up, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Bursting into sobs, Draco's small fists went to rub at his eyes, "I didn't want to make you angry!"

Taking a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressing it against the bleeding wound, Lucius' gray eyes met his son's watery ones, "Draco, if you're hurt that's the most important thing. You needn't worry about making me upset, I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you." He rubbed the back of his hand against the tears on the boy's cheeks. "So stoic. You really are your father's son, aren't you?" Lucius mused before he scooped the crying boy into his arms, the faintest kiss dropping on his forehead, "Come, shall we buy some chocolate frogs for you? I think we should."

* * *

**A** fairytale childhood was not for long, for the Dark Lord soon made his reappearance and after years of being surrounded by dark magic on a daily basis, Lucius became more a monster than a man. In tandem, Malfoy Manor became a place of fear instead of a home.

Even beautiful Narcissa Malfoy, once her husband's equal and sometimes commander, had folded in on herself like a flower witness to brutal, raging storms. Draco had never been quite sure why Bellatrix hadn't killed his father in a manic fit after seeing the bruises on her sister, but he figured that the years of dark magic had addled her brain even more. Under the duress of constant dark magic, family ceased to matter. _Emotions _ceased to matter. Well, actually, that was untrue.

Rage remained.

"Narcissa!" Lucius bellowed, the door to the sitting room slamming open so violently it hit the wall behind it and bounced back.

Reading by the fireplace as six year old Draco played with a few toy knights, the mistress of the manor jumped up as she turned to face her quickly advancing husband.

"What's wrong, Lucius?"

"What's WRONG?" He lashed out and grabbed her by the arm. Narcissa cried out and stumbled forward as he shook her. "What's wrong is that I find out DURING A BLOODY MEETING that apparently my wife-" He spat, "told her sister that she thought Voldemort was asking too much of us? Are you INSANE, Narcissa?! Have you lost your mind?!"

Draco stared in horror at the scene in front of him. His hands curled so tightly onto his figurines that the swords pressed painfully into his palms.

"Mummy-" He whispered miserably.

"Lucius, I'm sorry, I just …. I want what's best for you …You've changed so much and-" She yelped in pain as his hand grabbed her hair, twisting her head back. The golden locks that he had once admired served only as a handle for punishment now.

"I've changed so much?" He menanced, "I'm changing the sodding **world,** Narcissa - and don't you ever disrespect me again-"

Draco stared at his father's fist in his mother's hair as she twisted miserably in his arms.

The slap came quickly and Narcissa tumbled back with a cry. Lucius stormed toward her again and then….

"No!" Draco stood trembling in his father's way.

"Draco, don't!" Narcissa gasped, pulling him into her arms and trying to push him behind her. "Don't."

Lucius sneered at his son, dark amusement flickering across his face, "What? Trying to save your mother, son? What could you do to me? What _would_ you do to me? Go ahead…stop me."

Draco blinked, frozen in fright.

"Lucius, don't…he's just a little boy…."

"Stop me, Draco." Lucius challenged again, slapping Narcissa once more. "Stop me." He pulled her hair back, exposing the long elegant line of her neck as she arched her back in pain.

Terrified, Draco began to shake.

"Lucius, please. Let him go. Let him go. He's your son."

Gray eyes slid to his wife for a long calculating moment before he turned back to Draco. "Yes, he is my son. And he won't stop me, will you Draco? Because you know Father is right. Dobby!" The elf appeared in a pop, "Take Draco upstairs, now."

Before he could even think to move, Dobby had him by the arm and was apparating him upstairs.

"No!" Draco sobbed, throwing himself at the door to his nursery "No!"

"Dobby is sorry Little Master Draco. Dobby is very sorry." Dobby tried to calm the wailing boy as the screams of his mother drifted up the stairs.

One day when he was older, he _would_ stop him. He'd be bigger. He'd be different. It would _all_ be different.

…Right?

* * *

**A**s the years passed, Lucius's temper and abuse grew steadily. Draco, in response, grew spiteful toward everyone and everything. He soon cultivated a reputation within Hogwarts that made him as feared there as he was helpless at home. His words were cutting, his wand and intimidation techniques even more. Draco figured that if he had to be the lowest of the order to Lucius, then he would damnably be the top in every other stream of life.

Christmas holidays of fourth year hadn't been the best. Draco had expected an earful over the fact that Harry Potter had been chosen as one of the triwizard champions and he hadn't – but his father hadn't seemed to find that odd in the least. Instead however, it was his abysmal marks in Transfiguration followed by his inability to cast an appropriate cruciatus curse on a dog, that had had Draco beaten to the point of unconsciousness.

He had only just regained the ability to walk without difficulty when school started, but the effects of the abuse were such that even the strongest glamours could just barely hide the bruising on his face and throat, let alone the awkward movement that Draco did his best to disguise.

Slinking about the hallways, not having the heart to put on the arrogant bravado he showcased to his house, Draco's back straightened at his name.

"Good evening, Draco."

Ducking his head, Draco turned to look at the bespectacled headmaster, "Headmaster. May I help you?"

"Actually, I was hoping to help you. Please, follow me into my office"

"We're far from your office, you know – I don't have the time to-" Draco sneered before a staircase flipped its position, a wall turned round and they were just steps from the statue guarding the headmaster's room. "-oh."

"One thing about being headmaster; is that you will find that the school oft likes to please you." Dumbledore hummed, eyes twinkling, before ushering Draco into the circular room.

Scowling, Draco's eyes fell suspiciously on the phoenix that preened on its perch. His nose wrinkled: The Potters probably threw tea parties in this room – _Merlin_ but they were an entitled set of little brats.

Settling behind his desk, the headmaster slid a bowl of candies toward the blonde who simply stared at them blankly.

"It is an interesting thing about parents, Draco." Dumbledore began, direct to the point, "They give life to their children and as such, are irreversibly tied to those children for all eternity. There is no book on parenting, rather it is something that we learn from those who came before us. For Pureblood families, the heir is often subject to severe discipline to allow him to grow into a strong patriarch worthy of the family name. This I know. "

Draco fidgeted.

"The one thing that one must always remember however, is that no matter how strict a parent may wish to be, their child's life must be the most important thing to preserve. When a parent loses that knowledge, then they cease being a parent at all."

Angering, Draco's eyes flashed silver, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Simply for the fact that it may be hard for someone your age to know when redemption is no longer an option. And even more difficult: to understand that it is not your fault."

Standing quickly, Draco found himself panicking. How humiliating that the headmaster had guessed the violence that sparked behind the doors to Malfoy Manor. "Right. I don't want to take part in your head games, Headmaster, so may I please be excused."

"**No**, Draco." He paused, "You see, I knew your mother well when she was a student. She was a wildly clever mind with an even larger spirit."

Draco blinked, suddenly frozen at the mention of his mother. His poor, lovely mother, bedridden all holiday from a flu, though her symptoms seemed remarkably similar to the signs of long exposure to cruciatus.

"She was also highly loyal to her name, to her stature, as I am sure you are as well. There is great pride in being of such pure blood –"

"You wouldn't think so!" Draco sneered, "You love mud-…muggles and their offspring."

"Love is too strong a word, Draco." The headmaster was un-phased, "You see, I do believe there is great pride in being of such pure blood. Yet, I also believe that there is no less pride in being of less pure blood. Ancestry is what is most important."

There was a long silence.

"Your father's mind has been addled by dark magic, Draco. Your safety is an issue."

"My father has been cleared of all charges." Draco's voice shook despite all efforts to keep it silky.

"Your mother has done no wrong except that the member of the family she married pulled the both of you into things that will, if things do not change, _kill_ them."

"Headmaster, I have –"

"So let us discuss your options, Draco."

He broke then. "My options?! I'm a Malfoy, headmaster. My option is to be a better son and help bring our family name honor and respect-"

"The dark lord will not let that happen, Draco. To your father he is all that matters now. Not your family. Not your name."

"No!"

"_Yes_."

Draco felt the glamour ripped away from him with a lift of Dumbledore's finger. The swollen eyes and fractured cheekbone were sure to look even worse to the eyes of someone who had not seen them before.

"He would kill his only heir if he thought it would win him better favour. That is what Voldemort does, Draco. He twists people, makes them so expectant of fear, death and torture that their minds go."

Draco turned his face away.

"I am not asking you for information. I am not asking you to confirm anything. It is in my power as Headmaster to take you into safety, Draco."

He started, horrified.

"But I wish it to be something that you understand for yourself. Please think of my offer."

"My mother…." Draco choked weakly. "My name."

"Things we will work for."

"He'll kill me."

"I will not let that happen."

"No." Draco shook his head, clearing it of the crazy thoughts that ran through it. Dumbledore was good. Really, he had to give it to the old man, he had almost got to him. "I meant … Professor Snape will kill me if I don't pass in my potions assignment tomorrow. I really have to go, Headmaster."

Draco didn't like the way the Headmaster looked at him so sadly. It was _worry_ that was etched on the old man's face, and the younger wizard hadn't seen that directed toward him in years.

"'Phoenixus', said with a half moon swish, wand in hand, will call myself and my followers to wherever you are when you cast. It will also temporarily freeze the events unfolding around you. Use it if you need to, Draco."

"I won't." Draco was hurriedly backing out of the room, "I won't."

* * *

**T**he following months passed quickly and soon, Draco was fourteen and cloaked in death-eater garb as he stood beside his father in an eerie muggle graveyard. He had been surprised that Lucius had chosen to attend the Triwizard Tournament Third task, but had been briefed that something big was about to happen, and he was to accompany his Father to the event.

During the maze task there had been a big commotion and suddenly people were screaming that Harry Potter had vanished, that a portkey had been used and Draco found himself being pushed to aside by his father who had handed him a portkey of his own in the form of a watch.

That was how he had wound up here. In a graveyard. Watching as the Dark Lord sliced Harry's arm to draw his blood in a bid to make him stronger.

"Isn't it wonderful, Draco?" Lucius hissed, "Is it not satisfying to watch?"

But it wasn't.

Sure, Harry could be hot headed and a glory hog, but in recent months…well he hadn't been that bad, had he? Draco could not believe that these grown men and women would take such pleasure out of hurting a child. He glanced at his father sideways, remembering the last punishment he had received and the fact that Lucius' own eyes had been so distant… so close to even killing his own son…and with cold horror suddenly realised that the deatheaters weren't planning on only hurting Harry. They were going to _kill_ him.

"Not much to battle me now, are you, Harry?" Voldemort was taunting the tied up boy, "Where is the great magic you're trumpeted to have? _Nowhere! Crucio!_"

Harry was screaming, his body banging viciously against the tombstone he was tied against.

Draco shut his eyes.

"They say you are my match? My equal? I don't think so-"

"Me either." Harry spat, still twitching, "I'm better than you."

"_Crucio!"_

And then again.

"_Crucio!"_

The anguished screams of Harry blended in Draco's ears in harmony with the memories of his mother's and his own. Draco's teeth clenched and in a wild moment knew what he had to do.

"_Phoenixus_!"

Immediately, just like Dumbledore had said it would, his wand sparked red, a band of white light rippling out from its tip, freezing everyone for just a few precious moments as Draco ran forward and sliced Harry's bonds free.

"Come on!"

"MALFOY!" Voldemort screamed, being the first to push off the spell. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Draco ducked behind a tombstone which exploded as Harry scrambled to his feet.

"You TRAITOR-" Voldemort started, his eyes glowing red.

Yet, it was too late because hundreds of *pops* filled the air as order members and aurors alike arrived on the scene.

A hurtling ball of white energy slammed into Voldemort from the wand tip of Dumbledore.

"Come on!" Draco grabbed Harry, "We have to hide." He pulled the still shaking boy into the woods behind the graveyard, not even yielding as his ankle turned painfully on a stone.

Pushing Harry into some bushes, he glanced around wildly. "We have to hide until it's over. Where did he put the portkey?"

"I don't know – ugh – it's the cup, you know. Near the gravestones."

Gray eyes were as cold as steel, "Ok. You stay here Potter, and don't do anything remarkably stupid like you're prone too. I'll be back."

Before Harry could protest, Draco cast a quick stupefying spell alongside a shielding spell (because, let's face it, you tell a Gryffindor not to do anything stupid and that is the first thing they are predisposed to do) and crept back through the woods like a ghost. Leaning behind a particularly knobby tree, Draco peered out into the chaos – deatheaters and aurors were locked in grandiose combat. Voldemort was being walloped by Dumbledore whose spells were cracking apart the shields he kept throwing out. Crabbe Senior went flying into a tree with such force it cracked the trunk. Certainly no way he would survive that. In between all the rubble and bright flashes of light, Draco spied the trophy. Starting forward, his blood roaring in his ears, he wrapped his cloak about the handle and darted back into the woods.

On his aching ankle he stumbled back through the forest – he was close to where he had left Harry when an active noise behind him sent a chill up his back. Whirling around, ready to disembowel whoever was about to threaten him, Draco saw who it was and his arm went limp.

There was Lucius, staring at him with such unleashed fury it made his knees buckle.

"You little shit." His father's voice was silky in it's anger, "Do you have any idea what you've done? What you've done to the cause? What you've done to the _family?_ The Lord will want you dead, Draco – do you know what a position that puts me in?" He cursed loudly and Draco tried his best not to let his knees give way. It would be so easy to stun his father while he ranted. So easy to cast the spell and run for his life. Yet, terror and love, so muddled in his mind, held his hand at bay.

"Where is he, Draco?" Lucius asked, "Tell me. If we kill him then all will be forgiven." Then, at Draco's mute silence, "WHERE IS HE?!"

Draco was all too aware of Harry's presence just a few feet from where they stood. He was glad he had cast the stunning spell on Harry – while Voldemort was so filled with arrogance and theatrics that the boy who lived could make it through a fight with him – Lucius was deadly. If Harry appeared, his father would cast a killing curse so quickly it would all be over in seconds.

With no response forthcoming, Lucius stode toward Draco and viciously backhanded him across the face. The younger blonde stumbled back with a cry of pain before his father's hands were clutching him by the shoulders and shaking him wildly, "WHERE IS HE?!"

"I don't know!" Draco attempted before another blow to the face had blood filling his mouth.

"LIAR!" Lucius pushed Draco down before aiming his wand at his son, "Crucio."

Now, it was Draco's turn to scream as pain filled his system.

"_Crucio_!"

It didn't matter if Voldemort wanted him dead. Lucius would kill him tonight, he was sure of it.

"_Crucio_!"

His chest was going to explode open.

There was a dull thud and suddenly the pain stopped. Retching onto the grass, Draco was barely aware of hands helping him up.

"Are you okay? Shit, Draco – your bloody spell –" Harry was babbling, "I didn't think I'd be able to break out of it without your Dad hearing the commotion. Your screaming covered me though- Merlin, I know it's awful – just breathe-"

"I've felt it before." Draco returned dully before looking over at his father and the rock Harry had used to clunk him over the head. His heart chilled, fiercely pulling his ribs together so that his chest felt unbearably tight. He stepped toward Lucius in misery.

"Draco." Harry began softly, "He's alive. But we have to go."

"But-" Draco choked, knowing with painful certainty that this moment was the end of his life. The only life he had ever known. Merlin, would his mother be alright? And, really, it wasn't so bad, was it? Afterall, his father had wanted to get Harry to protect Draco from being killed – that must mean he loved him, right? Maybe if he just stayed and…

"_Draco!_ I know he is your father, but you deserve a lot better than a life being stepped on by him and his lord." Harry held his hand out toward the other boy, "You saved my life. Let me save yours."

If anything, at the least, Draco Malfoy was not a stupid boy. Swallowing the lump of devastation in his throat, he took the offered hand. With one touch of the portkey they were hurtling back toward Hogwarts, toward safety and toward new beginnings.

* * *

**T**hough everything had changed, Draco found himself in a position not altogether unfamiliar: He was certain his next meeting with his father would not end well, but then, that was no different than usual. He had been immediately placed in Professor Snape's care, which had had his hackles raised as Draco was fully aware of Snape's dealings with his father. Dumbledore had assured him that, these days, the man was on the side of the light. Mid summer however, his elder cousin, Nymphadora Lupin and her husband, Remus, took him in. Through them he had become fast acquainted with his aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted who unlike their mirror images in Bellatrix and Rodolphus, wanted more to see him healthy and well fed instead of mad and well tortured.

Draco had hated Harry Potter for so long, for having fame, love and family - things that he could barely imagine for himself - that he had also automatically hated his situation at first. Pushed into Potter's extended family like some stray dog they all took pity on, Draco had spent weeks with seething anger bubbling in his chest. Soon though, like all great villains, Draco's cold heart was no match to all the love and care, and it was the little princess of Gryffindor that had radiated the most heat to melt that cold heart and show him the true meaning of love.

It was an early June afternoon when Draco, finally unmarred by the bruises from his father, was in the fields of Hogwarts tending to his favourite of the stable horses. A tall black stallion, Endo was a tumultuous soul. It had taken three years for Draco to tame him enough to allow him to even walk beside him, let alone ride him. But Draco was fond of him despite his arrogant temperament, for Endo was a quiet soul. He was a brave heart. He was a soldier. He was …

"So cute!" A giggle came from behind him and Draco turned with rolling eyes to see Parvati Patil standing a few steps away from him, her brightly colored flowered dress looking impeccably attractive on her. She was the prettiest girl in their year and pureblood to boot – he had never turned his icy criticisms onto her because of these facts.

"I'd hardly call a stallion: Cute." He drawled, fighting to keep his eyes from her luxurious chest.

"Why not?" She tilted her head, her hands finding her hips, "Everything can be cute even if it strong and big."

"No, then you just call it strong and big, Padma." Draco smirked, already anticipating the reaction he would get.

"Excuse me? Draco Malfoy, you've known me for years, how dare you confuse me with Padma!" Parvati thrilled, her hands turning to fists and pushing toward the ground with anger. She obviously enjoyed theatrics and Draco could barely fight a smile.

"Well, your sunglasses are so big I can barely see your face." Draco drawled, "So I didn't realise you were the prettier one."

She flushed, her rosebud lips pursing, "I'm not the prettier one-" Parvati attempted weakly, obviously wanting to keep the compliment but not wanting to seem arrogant.

"Not with those glasses on." He relented, "You look like a big and strong bug. Or as you'd put it a 'cute' bug." Draco gave air quotes to the word, proud of his secret compliment hidden as an insult.

Parvati made an exasperated gasp and stomped toward him, pushing his chest, "Well you're a NONCUTE GIT."

"Really?" He flirted, showing a flash of white teeth.

"Yes. Really. I don't like you." As she scolded him, Endo immediately cuddled his head into Parvati's soft frame. She squeaked and absently petted the horse who once spat apples at Draco when he tried to brush his mane.

"Most don't." He tried to hide his obvious envy as the horse and the girl cuddled one another, not entirely sure which he was more jealous of.

"Most aren't lying, though."

Draco glanced up to catch her shy smile. "Patil, you shouldn't tempt a Slytherin. The repercussions are- " He was continuing on his swaggering speech when she just reached forward and tapped his nose, causing his eyes to narrow. Was the girl mad?

"Parvati-"

"What you did was so brave, Draco, and I just had to tell you that. I'm so proud of you. I know I have no right to be, of course, but your actions were just so incredible. So, I think at least I could be a little brave in a much smaller way. When I approached you, I wasn't talking to the horse."

Confused, Draco's mind went back to the beginning of their conversation. What had she said? She had approached and she had giggled … Oh. His eyes flashed upward but she was already waving goodbye, her cheeks rosy with blush.

And just like that, hook, line and sinker – Draco had fallen. Gray eyes met the dark ones of Endo who was looking at him with a similar stare of horror. Poor bastard, Draco thought, just like me, he didn't even stand a chance.

* * *

"Oh Craps!" **T**onks exclaimed, hitting his head with the palm of her hand. "I forgot to pack your History textbook, Draco. Aw, bugger, I make a terrible Mum." Her hair flooded red with her ire, "First I don't buy it at Diagon Alley because I had the same edition at office and then I forgot to bring it home until yesterday… and now I've forgotten to pack it-"

"It's okay, Tonks." Draco flushed, unused to having someone give such a hard time to themselves. If it had been Lucius he would have cuffed Draco for forgetting to remind him. "You make a great parent."

Tonks' eyebrows lifted and she beamed at the blonde as Remus chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

The summer had been good. They had settled in as an awkward little family, even doing a trip to the seaside. Seriously, what was that? It was a world Draco had never known.

"Right, well, remember to write to Tonks, Draco and as lame as it is to have your guardian a professor – I mean just look at that nerd Harry, I expect you to visit me. If you hadn't noticed we've grown rather attached to your wry sarcasm and therefore exists a need for you to keep supplementing us." Remus reminded.

And suddenly Remus was hugging him and Tonks was kissing him on the cheek, her eyes welling with tears, and Draco was so confused his nose started to tingle and his eyes began to sting. Bloody hell. One summer with a family and he was turning into Longbottom.

"Have a lovely ride, Draco. I'll miss you!" Tonks pushed him toward the train as Remus swung his trunk into the cargo.

Blinking, Draco stood awkwardly in the door to the train before he managed to swallow the huge lump in his throat, his face flushing uncomfortably. "Miss-you-too-bye." Turning quickly he missed the smiles his surrogate parents shared, and instead pushed embarrassedly down the carriage hallways.

Plopping into the first carriage he saw, he groaned as he saw Neville and Ethan smiling at him.

Well, when in Rome.

"Gryffindors." He greeted, "Longbottom can you fetch me a chocolate frog?"

As Neville nodded and rushed to do his bidding, Draco smirked. Perhaps life wasn't actually that bad in the den of Lions.

* * *

**A**bout half an hour later, Draco glanced up to see his girlfriend walk past his carriage. Getting up quickly he opened the door so fast it slammed against the wall.

"Parvati!" He barked, throat going a little dry as she turned, her curtain of black hair seeming to have that slow-motion quality of women on wiz-tv.

"Yes?" Her eyes had lit and she was fighting a smile.

"No kiss?" He drawled.

"No."

Lavender had scattered, rolling her eyes, and Draco took two dominating steps forward. "And why is that?"

"Why didn't you owl me for the last week?" She returned, frowning. "I sent you TWO."

"Oh." Draco flinched. He had been meaning to, really, but an OWL from his father had left him almost comatose from pure terror. The jagged writing had been ominous: "You've failed me." Remus had burned the letter to shreds when he found it (Draco was fairly certain that the older man had been patrolling his mail as it was the first OWL that had managed to get through from his father. Lucius must have figured that any OWL with a curse or hex on it would not get through their wards) but the damage had been done and Draco hadn't been able to function for almost three days.

Parvati was looking at him expectantly.

"Uh … I had an owl from my father-" He began awkwardly, unsure how to explain it and mostly not wanting to explain it at all.

"Oh. Okay. You don't need to explain, Dragon." She shrugged it off and without asking more words for him, smiled. It was something about her he loved. At some of his lowest moments he had confided in her some things, and knowing how closed off he was, she never pushed him, never forced him to go into great detail over something he could barely manage to think, let alone voice. "It's just that I thought maybe you didn't want to –um … be with me or something-" Her big eyes fluttered nervously as she stared at the floor.

"Parvati," He was smiling now, "Come here."

She pursed her lips and stepped toward him. Pulling her small frame to his, he grinned into her hair. "You're a silly little brat, aren't you."

"Hmph." She pouted, her voice tilting babyishly bright as her fingers curled about his sides.

"Wel, I don't blame you, it's my fault for dating a Gryffindor." Draco mused.

"Draco!" Parvati gasped, jabbing him in the side. "You absolute git, let me go!"

"Never." He dominated, holding her tighter as she squirmed.

"Why not? If I'm a Gryffindor." She mocked his drawl as she struggled in his grasp.

Laughing, feeling merry, Draco's gray eyes were light and for a moment he felt like a regular boy, not burdened by years of dark magic and secrets. "Because I love you."

Their eyes met, hers large with wonderment.

"Are you just going to stare at me all –" He was cut off as she kissed him violently. So surprised, he stumbled back, losing balance.

"I love you too!" She giggled against his mouth, "So much!"

He laughed into the kiss, deepening it as they knocked against the carriage walls trying to find a stable place. Suddenly his back hit a door which gave through and they stumbled backward into a room amidst Parvati's small embarrassed yelp.

Blinking, Draco faced a fairly somber Harry and Ron. He glanced amusedly at his girlfriend, a roll of his eyes indicating his regret that their moment had had to be ruined. "Damn, way to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Fellows." He greeted, walking inside.

As Parvati, blushing, took a seat, Draco's eyes followed her.

Love was a weakness. But maybe he could allow himself this one.

* * *

**T**heir relationship went well over the next year. After the showdown with his father on the Quidditch pitch, Remus and Snape had decided that he would stay in the spare room in Professor Snape's suite for a few days as Remus's suite had only a large master bedroom. Parvati had stubbornly joined him, having not let go of him since they had arrived back and Professor Snape had turned a blind eye. That first night she'd listened to his story and the two of them had just lay in silence.

So filled with adrenaline the entire day, Draco had managed to suppress the absolute nausea that had been threatening him since Lucius had stepped out of the forest. It had all come pounding back in the silence that followed, and he had told Parvati the entire story. His voice had shook at one point, and angry, he had fallen silent, eyes spinning toward her in an accusatory manner, expecting to see pity. Instead, he found her brown eyes brimming with tears and love and anger.

"You know what, Draco? He's such an absolute nutter. He made such an amazing son and doesn't realise it? It's true you know, dark arts addle the brain with time. I'm so sorry you went through that, but it's over now and you are nothing like him-"

"I look just like him-"

"Looks are skin deep. You are nothing like him."

"Parvati, you don't know that." He snapped, turning away from her.

"I do. I know because you're brave and you actually value people and because-" She was pushing herself around his form and tumbled into his lap like an obstinate cat, "You have this." Her small hand pressed against his sternum, "And I know you have that because you love me and because I love you so much I'd die if anything happened to you. And if you think I could love someone like your father, you're _so_ mistaken."

Her face was so cross and cute at once that even despite all the darkness in his heart, Draco laughed. And it felt good.

* * *

**A**fter the attack on the Potters at Christmas, Tonks had taken over their posting at the faculty and suddenly Draco found himself with both guardians at the school and a proper spare room in their family suite. For the first few weeks he avoided it, awkward, until Remus cornered him after class.

"Draco, Tonks is so sad that you haven't come by our suite yet, why is that?"

"Oh. Uh … I didn't know … that …uh, I was supposed to."

Remus stared hard at the blonde and Draco's eyes immediately drifted to the wall behind the older man. The werewolf had a way of being so fatherly and gentle it made him uncomfortable.

"Well, of course you're supposed to. Dinner. Now."

"Alright then," He rolled his eyes with exasperation.

"Ah, that's what I like. You acting like a petulant teenager. Familiar."

Gathering his books as they left the Ancient Magicks classroom, Draco snorted. "Oh right, as if you were ever a petulant teenager."

"I never said _I_ was. Remember, I was best friends with James."

They laughed merrily. The sadness over James' current state dissipating from Remus' face for just a moment.

The suite of rooms was nice and Draco felt his cheeks warm as Tonks greeted him excitedly, pushing him into a bedroom that had been clearly thought out. Some of his items from their home had been moved in and the simple thought made him feel cared for.

Outside, the living room was the standard for the professor suites except for one thing. "What's this?" Draco asked, pointing to an elegant looking sink that stood alone in the center of the room. "A pensieve? Where did you get one?"

Looking up from his paper, Remus' eyes sparkled, "On loan from the headmaster, some order business. Did you want to give it a go?"

Draco stared at the silvery water.

Sometimes, carrying around the memories of the events of his childhood felt like a 1000lb weight pressing on his chest. What would it be like to take some out and have some relief for awhile?

"You'd let me?"

"Well, if it'd convince you to visit more, of course." Remus grinned, "Just give me a heads up and I'll move it into the spare for when you stay."

"Dinner!" Tonks cheered as she unearthed something that looked simultaneously dry and slimy.

Remus and Draco stared at it in horror.

"On second thought," Remus backtracked as he grabbed for his suit jacket, "Eating in is overrated and disrespectful to the house elves. We should eat in the Great Hall."

"Yes, the house elves…" Draco mirrored.

Tonks' eyes slanted angrily, "You both are little bastards, you know."

"So, will you still be eating in, then?" Remus teased.

Tonks looked at her concotation for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh, "Just let me grab my robes."

* * *

**D**raco had taken to using the pensieve on the weekends, able to sleep contentedly at night. He had even given Parvati the password to the suite, something that neither Tonks or Remus seemed to mind. They had both taken to her quite quickly and it gave Draco and Parvati the chance to spend time together outside the public arenas of the school.

He would often come home from class to find Parvati and Tonks laughing, attempting to learn to cook together. For moments, Draco could revel in his warm life, happy to leave it all behind. Sometimes, just for a second, he even forgot that he was Lucius Malfoy's son. And what a relief that was.

Yet, life is never such a kind mistress for long.

It was the one day that he came into the suite, expecting Parvati alone, when he found her in his room. In his pensieve.

It was as if the floor had fallen from beneath his feet. Draco was horror struck. With Parvati, Draco was a strong young man. She looked to him with such love and pride. The thought that she would see those memories of his, where he was so weak, so wounded, so _pathetic_ - sent ice trickling down his neck. The misery over her realising what a failure he had been consumed him for a moment before the anger finally arrived as well.

Entering the pensieve himself, he grabbed her furiously, wrenching her out of the memories.

Feet hitting the ground in his room once more, she stared at him in shock. Her eyes swimming with tears.

Pity. A voice in him said. She _pities_ you now.

"Oh Dragon, oh my god, I didn't know it was so ba-"

"Shut up." He snapped, gray eyes calculating.

Parvati blinked, shocked at his tone. Draco felt a smug satisfaction that perhaps she would realise he wasn't the one to worry about in this situation. "But-" She stepped back from him.

"What the hell did you think you were DOING?!" Draco roared while he stalked her across the room, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her roughly.

Parvati cried out, "I, I didn't know – I mean, I don't have one, I didn't realise by touching it- Draco, stop!"

"Stop? You're so BLOODY nosy, Parvati, did _you_ think to stop?!"

"I didn't know how!" She pleaded, "And it was so horrible! Your father was so bad to you, you didn't deserve that-"

Draco laughed mirthlessly, "Don't _bloody_ pity me, Parvati-" His fingers wound into her thick black hair and pulled back, hard.

He was so angry. So very furious that she had seen how weak and useless he had been that he felt the compelling need to show her that he was, in fact, strong. His grip on her hair tightened and they danced in rhythm to the memories of old reflected in the pensieve.

She cried out, one hand trying to grasp his to alleviate the stress on her scalp, scrabbling against his skin to push it away. "Dragon!" Her voice broke and tears began to stream down her cheeks, "I don't! Just…You're acting just like him, _stop_!"

They both knew that was exactly the wrong thing to say and his hand was halfway through the air before he realised what he was doing. Draco froze, staring in horror at his sobbing, terrified girlfriend who he had been about to backhand across the face. His hand fell limply to his side as he released her.

"I really didn't mean to, Draco." She sobbed brokenly. He watched her fold away from him like a flower caught in a raging storm, her beauty not deserving of such terrors before she turned and ran out of the room.

Draco had stood in his room for a long time before he had fully realised what he had done, what he had almost done, and threw up.

He had stumbled through the halls of Hogwarts to Gryffindor tower in vain, for Hermione Granger, in all her furious rage had prevented him from seeing the girl he loved. He had seen in her eyes that she knew the truth of what had happened between them and in the face of that terrible moment had been cowed.

He had sent Parvati a note:

_I'm truly sorry._

Yet, he did not try and win her back. He did not look at her broken gaze. He sat far away from their friends when she was with them.

Why?

Because it was as Lucius had always said: He was his father's son.

And he loved Parvati too much to make her suffer that.

**To be Continued …. **

We end on a dark note. What do you all think: Is Draco really his father's son? Is there the possibility of redemption? Of a different life? Or is it inevitable for him to mirror his father's mistakes?

The hint with respect to Draco and Parvati in the last chapter was the title itself: Anger Management. _Alicia Spinet_ was very close with her guess but did not have the hint! The scene with Draco and Dumbledore was inspired, there are allusions to their canon scene in HBP to show the differences between the worlds.

And let's not forget our main story: **Sirius**! And Snape! And that weird Map? Who had kept Sirius captive so long? Will James live?

I am nervous with this chapter as it is a one-off within the story and also a departure from the story style to give a little insight into the darkness of Draco's life,** please take the time to review and let me know your thoughts! **


	21. Discoveries

And so, we **begin**. Cue the cinematic music, for **this is the beginning of the rest of this epic tale**. A brand new chapter and continuation to this story!

Speaking of **cinematic music, see my tumblr** (linked via profile) for the beginnings of a playlist for this story as well as **little tidbits, images and spoilers for each chapter**. Follow me for lots of Wish of Life goodness!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 21**

**Discoveries **

* * *

**N**ausea pounded into Harry's heart as he wretched onto the grass over and over again. The face was a far cry from the handsome man in his memories from this world, but Harry made the connection immediately: to the gaunt, destroyed Sirius he had first met in his own.

"It's Sirius." He choked out, scrambled to his feet and grabbing the battered man. "SIRIUS! SIRIUS!" In his panic, he began to shake the older man with wild abandon, trying to get him to make a sound. Everything was spinning and Harry could barely hold onto his grip of reality.

"Harry! Stop it! Shit!" Draco shouted, trying to grab at Harry's arms. "Stop it! That's not helping. Hell, we must be in deatheater territory." Draco was looking around wildly, suddenly aware of the danger they were in. "We need to get back now. Get it together, we have to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving him!" Harry bit out wildly, staring at horror at the wounded, bruised face of his surrogate father.

"I didn't ask you too! God! Do you know a levitating spell?" Draco was already leaning down and trying to lift one of Sirius' limp arms to place about his neck.

Harry followed suit, numbly shaking his head. "I can't think right now, let's just carry him and go."

A loud crow's caw had them both jumping. Every nerve in Harry's body was sensitized as the rest of his life ceased to exist and all that matter was saving Sirius. He _had_ to save Sirius.

Together they carried Sirius through the fields they had run within earlier. It was difficult. He was heavy and deadweight, unconscious and limbs dragging. The sun was hot and the effort was tiring them quickly.

"We have to get out of here quick, we can't take a break." Draco kept mumbling orders as they inched through the areas that originally had taken them so little time to forge through.

Their movement was so slow but blood was roaring in Harry's ears, every moment stretching forever, every noise signaling danger.

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice.

"HARRY! DRACO!"

Harry never thought he would be so relieved to see Snape. The older man was running toward them from the direction of the map's entrance. He looked furious and confused.

"It's Sirius!" Harry shouted out wildly, "It's Sirius!"

They stumbled toward Snape who met them in a mix of shock and horror. Recoiling back, he peered at the man they carried. "Are you sure?!"

"Yes!" Harry screamed. "He's dying! HELP HIM!"

Snape reached out and tilted up Sirius' face. As he recognized the man, his skin turned even paler than usual and in an instant he had his wand out and had levitated the other man. "Run. Run, now." He ordered the boys.

They took off into a dead run toward the map's entrance spot and in moments they were stumbling into the shed at Spinner's End.

Ethan was waiting, worried. He rushed at Harry. "You took so long, I had to tell Uncle Sev-" He stopped short as Snape appeared with Sirius. "…Is that?"

Snape simply swept past the boys without a glance, rushing toward the house. In one accord the boys followed him to the Floo network and in a whirl of green flames they headed to the hospital.

* * *

**T**he hospital spun into madness on their arrival. Snape had shouted at the staff in something akin to hysteria while once Sirius was wheeled into a surgery, Ethan turned pale and fainted and had had to be placed on a gurney while a mediwitch fetched him pumpkin juice.

"What's going on here?" Remus appeared in the waiting room. "Draco, why aren't you with Uncle Severus?" Then, noticing the pale Potter boys, did a double take. "Harry? Ethan? Oh Merlin, has something happened to James?"

The boys had simply sat in the waiting room in sheer terror for the last forty minutes while Snape had left to Hogwarts to hail Dumbledore. Though their father's room was only a few corridors away, the boys had been so dumbstruck they hadn't dared move.

"Papa Padfoot." Ethan began, "It's Papa Padfoot." The youngest Potter's eyes were wide and confused as he stared at his uncle.

"Sirius?" Remus questioned, looking back and forth between the two brothers, not yet understanding what had happened.

"We found Sirius." Harry confirmed tonelessly.

He understood now. Remus sunk into the chair beside them and they added another to their vigil.

* * *

**I**t was four hours later, after their group had increased to include Tonks, Snape and Dumbledore, that the doors to the surgery opened and a serious looking Healer came out.

He glanced around the crowd before Remus stood and followed him to a side room. Harry's hands began to shake uncontrollably and Tonks hugged both boys to her, whispering positive statements that went in one ear and out the other as they stared after Remus' form.

Tension was still high as Lily and Arulbella Black came running into the hospital.

"What's happened?!" Lily asked, wildly. Arulbella, Sirius' widow had taken up permanent residence in the Potter's house since James's attack and both witches had taken a quick trip up North the day before to collect some of Arulbella's things. "We got here as soon as we could, what's happened?!"

Harry met the grief stricken face of his aunt and felt his first real connection with her. In the tragedy, memories of her pricked at his mind, reminding him of love and a time when his whole family was complete. Coming to terms with Sirius' death had been one thing; but having to lose him again was something that felt like it would crush him completely.

Remus walked out of the room to hear Lily's question. He took five long strides to close the distance between them and his arms wrapped around both the women. "He's alive. That's what's happened. He's alive."

His forehead pressed against Arulbella's as she cried out in agonized relief, sinking toward the floor as Lily and Remus anchored her.

Harry felt wetness on his cheeks, suddenly aware that he too had started to cry.

Arulbella reached out an arm toward the brothers and both Harry and Ethan jumped into the embrace.

The five of them cried together. Two members of their family lay in hospital beds, fighting for their lives, but for the first time in a long time, there was a little bit of hope.

* * *

**T**he next few days were spent living out of St. Mungo's. The story of what had happened had been told over and over and despite it all, the boys hadn't gotten into trouble. Harry supposed finding your dead godfather sort of gave no premise to being scolded over doing dangerous things. Snape and Dumbledore seemed in deep discussion the day off and had retreated to Hogwarts. McGonagall came for a visit, and Harry had been unnerved to see her weep so openly. Remus rarely left the hospital and as a result, Draco also lived out of the hospital with the boys.

Sirius's condition was critical. Unlike James, who despite no improvement stayed relatively steady, Sirius crashed numerous times. It had been so much horror in such a short period of time that Harry felt permanently numb. He was a ghost who wandered the halls of St. Mungo's, guilt; his only anchor to this world.

The next day, Harry sat in James's room at night while Lily and Ethan had taken a quick break to go home and sleep. Remus had been keeping him company but had gone in search of some food for the both of them. It was close to midnight when Snape walked in to the room.

"Harry." Snape greeted softly, "You're still here? It's very late."

Harry nodded, rubbing at his head, "I know, but I didn't want to leave ... in case any news of Sirius." Hopefully he looked at the older man, "Did you get to see him? They won't allow me in - maybe you could-"

A ghost of smile fell across Snape's face, "Harry, Sirius is in critical care right now, they won't allow minors." Before Harry could ask, "No matter WHO asks. I did get to see him, yes. I won't sugarcoat it, Harry, it's not looking very good."

Harry felt tears burn at his eyes and he looked down at James.

"I think that Pettigrew likely was the one keeping him hostage so that when he got captured they most likely left him to die." Snape said softly, "It only makes sense."

Surprised, Harry glanced up at the Potions Master. Sometimes it was so hard to get direct answers from his Mother or Remus that the factual information gave him pause. "But that was at Christmas! So it's my fault then … my fault that he's the way he is-"

"Harry!" Snape's voice was sharp, "Don't be stupid, boy. If you hadn't captured Pettigrew then he would still be torturing Sirius, is that any better?" Then, obviously feeling bad at snapping at him, Snape approached and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You saved him, I'm certain he would be so very happy for that."

"How do you think he managed all this time?" Despite himself, Harry appreciated the kindness from the man who hated him so very much in his other world. "Survived, that is?"

"The healers will say he has been under Deatheater capture till recently, but I think he survived as Padfoot, eating vermin and the like. Pulling himself out like that – broken legs and all – he's much stronger in his animagus form - he probably just got so exhausted he couldn't keep up the magic anymore."

He couldn't help himself, "You've seen him as Padfoot?"

Snape gave him a surprised look and Harry immediately shut his mouth, realising that after such a long friendship it must have been knowledge Sirius had shared with Snape. Yet, in all the memories he had learned of this world, Sirius using his animagus form was not common. He couldn't imagine how Snape would have been able to speculate on Padfoot's strength.

"…Yes." Snape said awkwardly, "Once or twice, I suppose. Anyhow, I was thinking to stay a little while if you don't mind the company."

Thankful for Snape treating him as an adult, Harry nodded, "Thank you for telling me your thoughts, sometimes it's like pulling teeth with Uncle Remus and Mum."

A rare grin on his face as he pulled up a chair, Snape gave him a glance, "Well, there are so many secrets in this world why keep any extra?" Then, "You know, with Lily and Remus they only want to protect you. You have a nose for trouble, Harry, we all just want to keep you safe."

Indignant, Harry pursed his lips, "But don't you think I should get all the information available? It's not fair to keep things from me-"

"You're our child, of course it's fair. Your shoulders don't need the burdens we all have." Snape said firmly, "Our generation never got that privilege, you should be happy."

Flushing at the phrase 'our child', Harry fell silent. What Snape and the others didn't realise was that his shoulders _had_ all the burdens, both in this world and the other. It seemed as if all his choices led to big outcomes and Harry hated having such an influence on the world. His hurting Pettigrew almost caused Sirius' death. His argument with his Father led to James being alone in their house and now in a coma. His _wish_ caused so much suffering and neverending fear in his own heart.

* * *

**O**n the third day, his friends came to visit.

"Harry." Hearing Ron's voice sent a rush of relief pounding through Harry's veins. "Hey, Harry."

"How are you doing?" Hermione asked, her face scrunched in worry.

"We brought food." Parvati held out a basket of little quiches and sandwiches.

"Oi, hello-" Draco had just turned the corner, freezing in his steps as he saw the Indian girl. Parvati meanwhile looked stunned, flinching slightly, her expression frozen in longing and misery all at once. "Uh, that is, I'm just stepping out so I'll see you lot in a bit." He left quickly.

The others all shared a look.

Taking a sandwich and thankful for some degree of normalcy, Harry bit into the cheese and cucumber treat. "He misses you." He mentioned offhandedly to Parvati.

"I miss him too." She said quietly, looking put on the spot.

Hermione's face was stern. "Well, actions are everything. How he feels is nothing." She said sharply, firmly stopping the conversation.

Curiously, Harry caught Parvati's eye, but the girl simply stared steadfast at the ground.

"How are you, mate?" Ron sat beside him, slinging a kindly arm about his shoulder.

"I don't know." Harry admitted, "I'm relieved, but I'm scared. I…can't lose him again."

"You won't." Hermione said equally as firmly, "We just all have to think positively."

"It's just…. I can't stop thinking about what he's been through … I mean alone all this time? The Healers said he's been under many curses and hexes, on the brink of starvation. They think he was also victim to a killing curse that didn't work and I just know it's that bloody sickening Pettigrew that rat bast–" Harry felt his ire begin to spark, anger began to heat his cheeks. Parvati placed a gentle hand on his shoulder while Hermione clucked understandingly.

"He's been through a lot." Ron finished his original thought for him.

"All that torture." Harry managed to choke, "And after everything he had been through before…."

Hermione looked confused. "Before?"

Harry flattened his lips against eachother, realising he had been talking about his own Sirius' time in Azkaban. "Just…just everything." He mumbled, knowing that in his state of mind he would be allowed to not make sense.

"We know." Parvati soothed.

"The thing is, I've been thinking about it so much: What was that map?" Hermione piped up, sharing a look with Ron.

"I still don't know. Dumbledore and Snape seemed to get very serious about it and went off to deal with it. It's something to do with the Deatheaters I'm assuming."

There was a long silence.

In the silence a creeping thought occurred to him, one that hadn't in all the confusion and mess of the last few days. Ron was the first to voice it. "So, why did Snape have it, then?"

Harry didn't have an answer.

"Well," Hermione supplemented, "Maybe the deatheaters sent it to him to trap him or something?" Even despite her best effort the explanation seemed weak.

"But it would be totally random which place he may have touched though, right?" Parvati refuted, "It's not like they were all waiting for him in all the places. And there was a way to get back, right, Harry?"

"Yeah, there was."

"What were the other places?" Hermione asked, "Draco had mentioned a Scottish Bog."

Harry felt grateful that Draco had filled in his friends with enough background that he hadn't had to start from page one with them. "Yeah, I can't even remember now. There was an Irish festival we stumbled on once. And a graveyard-" Suddenly, as he tried to picture the places in his mind, a chill went up his neck. "It was really stormy the day of the graveyard, I couldn't see it properly but …." He paused, "Now that I think on it … It could have been…"

_Tom Riddle _

The gravestone was etched in his mind.

"It could have been the graveyard…"

His friends fell silent, aware of the gravity of the place.

"It _must_ be a deatheater thing." Ron confirmed.

Parvati looked at the others, "Well, that doesn't mean anything. Maybe they were trying to sway Snape or something."

"Right!" Ron blustered, "That makes sense. He did used to be involved, right? They probably still try and get him back or something."

"Right." Harry agreed weakly, too tired to deal with the other possibilities. He remembered Snape's pale face at seeing Sirius. He remembered the feel of Snape's hand on his shoulder as the Potions Master had joined their family in a tight embrace on hearing the news of Sirius' life. He had seen the tears that glimmered in cold, dark eyes. No one could be such a good actor, right? "Right."

* * *

**A**imlessly watching the wiz-vision in James' room, Harry chewed on one of the chocolate frogs his friends had brought him.

"Darling, you're still here?" Lily asked softly as she walked inside. "I thought you went home with Ethan to eat."

Harry shrugged, glancing at his father's pale form. James had lost a lot of weight in the past few months. He looked positively gaunt and a far cry from the handsome robust father Harry had known. More than ever, Sirius and James looked like brothers in their diminished states.

"You need to get some rest. You only have another day before Hogwarts-" Lily admonished as she walked around James' bed to the armchair on his right side.

"What?" Harry's emerald eyes grew wide. "I'm not going back to Hogwarts."

"Uh, yes. You are." Lily looked taken back at his attitude. "You're not missing anymore school. You have OWLs-"

Harry's hands curled into fists at the idea of being separated from his family for something as useless as school. "So?! There is no way I'm going back when Dad AND Sirius are here like this! Are you kidding me, Mum?!"

Lily's temper lit. "No, I'm NOT kidding, Harry, and I'm not arguing with you about this. You are a kid and you need to be in school. I'm not having you and your brother waste away your lives in this hospital-"

"Is that what you think _you're_ doing? Wasting your life at Dad's side?!" Harry said bitingly. "I'm sure he'd love to know _that_!"

"How dare you!" Lily stood, furious. "Harry, I've given you a lot of leeway because of what has happened to your Dad but-"

He knew exactly where to cut her, "Leeway? Is that what you call being completely absent-"

"Harry!"

Harry jumped at Remus' tone, flinching lightly. The werewolf stood in the doorway, eyes glinting gold in anger. He looked from mother to son and back again before striding up to Harry, towering over him.

"You are angry, Harry and you have a terrible habit of lashing out because of it. I know you didn't mean what you were about to say to your mother, because if you did, your father would wake up from that coma just to cuff you about the head. As it is, I should, but you get one pass. ONE. Don't EVER let me hear you talking like that again, am I clear?"

Thoroughly told off and feeling very small indeed, Harry felt his cheeks burn. "Yes, Sir."

"Right. Now, Sirius is out of the intensive surgery unit so that means you can see him." He turned toward Harry's fuming mother, "It doesn't mean much though, they've done all they could. Today was their last try- now it's a matter of waiting."

Suddenly, the thought of seeing Sirius again had Harry feeling rooted to the ground. He wasn't sure he was ready to see him, wasn't sure he could handle seeing him again before potentially losing him forever.

"Waiting. As usual." Lily remarked bitterly as Remus took the place next to her beside James. "In that case, go and stay with Sirius, Harry. I don't want to see you right now."

His mother's dismissal shocked Harry to the core. His doting, loving mother wanted him out of her sight. "But-" An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but it was so very difficult to get it out. Harry felt wronged in so many ways that it was a struggle to try and pull out of it. He felt like a victim of circumstance. Yet, the more rational part of him knew that it wasn't just him suffering these devastating losses, they all were … he was just the one acting like a child about it.

"Harry, go. Blow off some steam with Sirius. You can say all sorts of terrible things to him if you'd like and he won't be conscious to suffer through it." Remus ordered sarcastically.

Ears burning, Harry turned on his heel and walked out the door. He was unused to the adults treating him so harshly. What happened to the coddling and affection they all poured on him? It sucked.

A passing mediwitch smiled at him. Harry just scowled back. He didn't know why he was like this recently; always so angry and upset. It was hard to find happiness when everything seemed so bleak.

Turning into Sirius' room, Harry peeked in tentatively. He hadn't seen Sirius since they day they had brought him in and he was relieved to see that he didn't look nearly as horrific as he had that day.

Cleaned up, no trace of blood or dirt on him, Sirius looked more like the memory Sirius Harry had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve. He was thin and gaunt but strong somehow. His dark black hair had been cut and lay tousled over his forehead. Bruises marred his face, matching in color to the bags under his eyes. Little balls of light spun around him making tiny noises, monitoring every heartbeat and keeping him breathing.

"Hi, Sirius." Harry warbled before taking a seat. "So… you're the second Dad I have who is unconscious now."

He got no answer.

"Yeah, Dad said the same thing." Harry joked, pulling a comedic face to prevent the tears that were stinging his eyes from falling. "I'm such a git now, you know. You'd probably be so disappointed in me. I just … I just am scared to lose you again."

Sirius' chest moved with some degree of difficulty as the magic life support pushed him to breathe.

"I don't know why you were in that field, but….it scares me sometimes to think that if we hadn't been pissing around that day, that you would have …. You know, I thought maybe it was fate we found you, but I'm really bloody scared that if I think so positively that you'll be taken away again. Sometimes it's easier to just be depressed." He touched Sirius' hand, "You're not like that though. Where I come from you were in Azkaban having all happy thoughts ripped from your body for years, but you still managed to be positive and find a way out. I'm not brave like you. … And….I suck at having a family. I really suck at it, I think. I'm such a self entitled prick about it."

Harry glanced around the empty room. He could tell Sirius! He could tell Sirius what had happened to him. Sirius was a common factor in both worlds, the man he had wanted to tell so many months ago on his birthday … it made so much sense to Harry.

"I'll tell you some stuff. Maybe it can make you wake up and help me. You always did like to help me…"

And so, Harry told Sirius the whole story. He told him of his childhood on Privet Drive, of always feeling on the outside, of entering Hogwarts a star and of finding his way into this world.

"Sometimes it feels like it was almost easier there, no one to worry about. It's hard to love, it can hurt so much and I'm so scared. I do it all wrong, I shout at Mum and Dad for no reason and make everything worse. Voldemort is so strong here and I know he's coming for me and it all is so much more real here. You, Ron and Hermione were the only ones I had to worry about there. But you were okay, not dying in a hospital bed – you were starting your new life. I wish you'd wake up and start it here as well."

"Or what? You'd wish you were back there, then?" A voice filled with hurt and loathing came from behind.

Harry turned to see his brother staring at him like a stranger. Ethan's face was red from anger and his hands had curled into fists. How much had he heard?

"Ethan-" He uttered in shock before his brother turned on his heel and ran outside.

…He'd heard everything.

** To be Continued….**

Ethan now knows, what **will this mean for Harry**? Where do you think **Snape's allegiances** lie? Do you think Harry was acting within reason or was he a **real brat**?

The Draco chapter wasn't as well received as I had hoped, which makes me a little nervous for the next chapter which will be an Interlude chapter focused on **Ethan and Harry's relationship growing up**. I do hope there is **some anticipation** for it.

**Please do me the courtesy of leaving a review** if you like this story. Even if it's** just to say hi**! I really am inspired by your comments and feedback and I'd love to hear from more of you. I will always reply to signed in reviews. Since we may hit 1300 reviews I will choose a reviewer of this chapter at random and their name will appear in an upcoming chapter as a pet, person or whatever. Just a way to thank you guys :D

Remember to **check my profile for my tumblr account** that is all Wish of Life all the time!


	22. The Spare

Please check my profile to see my **TUMBLR (Usako3000) **which is filled only with tidbits, images and insider information on this story. There are **pictures of Ethan** in honor of this chapter! I'd love for you guys to follow me :D

The following is a LONG chapter that will show you a little of Harry's childhood in this world, I hope you enjoy it and I really hope you take the time to review

In celebration of 1300 hits, three reviewers (of last chapter) usernames have been fit into the flow of the story (October25, Lillia-Lillia and BrieflySweet). Thanks much! Thank you also to reviews I couldn't respond too: Guest (x3), xxnarufanxx, Bday, Fudgebaby, Ginny-T-Potter, nonnymous,

_This chapter is dedicated to Christina who spent many years of being 'the princess' little sister' and never complained….until now. :P_

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 22 – Interlude III – Ethan Potter**

**The Spare**

* * *

** "**It's a boy!" **J**ames cheered, stumbling into the waiting room of Gardendolf's Maternity and Pediatric Hospital. "Another boy!" His face was flushed red as he clapped his hands together heartily.

Immediately the other four men were on their feet with broad smiles. Sirius hugged James with wild abandon, clapping him hard on the back as Remus slung a happy arm around both Peter and Snape.

An uncomfortable expression on his face, Snape slid from Remus' hug before he shook the new father's hand, pale and awkward. "How is Lily?"

"Very well! Tired, but very well." He smiled around at them all, glasses askew.

"Do you have a name?" Remus asked, a broad grin on his face as Sirius' girlfriend, Emmeline Vance got to her feet, a sleeping Harry against her shoulder.

"Ethan. Ethan William Potter. Oh Merlin, Harry's asleep." James muttered, rubbing his forehead, "I'd so hoped he'd get to meet his brother right now."

"Another son, Potter?" A sneering voice came from behind them and the crowd of five turned to find Lucius Malfoy standing behind them, resplendent in black fur trimmed robes. "I see congratulations are in order."

"Yes, to _you_ for managing to squirm your way out of a sentence at Azkaban." Sirius spat, stepping forward to face his cousin-in-law. "That was impressive work, Lucius."

Lucius regarded him coolly, "I have no idea what you're speaking about Sirius, the innocent always go free."

Peter wiped sweat off his forehead as he made an odd snuffling sound when Lucius's eyes swept upon him. "Isn't that right, Severus?" The blonde asked. "Afterall, wouldn't the famous spy have said something if he had known otherwise?"

Snape stood a bit taller, meeting the man's gaze, a small smile on his lips. "Certainly."

Sirius glared at Snape before turning back to Lucius, "Get lost, you toerag."

"Tut tut," Lucius shook his head, "Your mother wouldn't have been very pleased to hear you talk like that. Especially not when your friend has managed to partake in a very pureblood institution and you have so failed at that. An heir and a spare, eh Potter?"

James scowled, pushing forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sirius. "That may be how you see_ your_ child Lucius, but that certainly isn't-"

Narcissa had appeared in the background, a flu-ridden Draco finally sleeping peacefully in her arms. "Lucius!" She called sharply, eyeing her cousin warily. "We should put him to sleep at home."

Lucius smiled at her indulgently, tipping his hat at the other men and woman. "Come now, Potter. Who are you trying to trick? Another child so quickly? While you both are so very young? I'm commending you for thinking ahead, afterall with such a target on the eldest it's only proficient to make sure there is a second to take his place. You know … if something was to happen. I can't think but _what_…" His eyes were bright.

Snape and Remus had to hold James back as he lunged at Lucius. "James, your son was just born, don't let him goad you!" Remus argued as James' arm fought in his grasp.

Lucius gave a chuckle, eyeing the enraged man with amusement before turning to join his wife and son.

"Don't worry," Emmeline said, still holding onto a peacefully slumbering Harry, "I jinxed him while he wasn't paying attention. If he thinks so highly of a spare, _he_ certainly won't be making one in the next few weeks."

* * *

"Harry, wait!" **A** newly five-year old Ethan begged as he tumbled after his brother and their friends. "I want to play too!" He ran as hard as could to try and mount the small hill in their back garden. The hill surface flattened into acres of rosebushes and was considered prime real estate in the games of the children. He ran up half way before he skidded back down, tumbling onto the grass.

Harry sighed and reached an arm out to pull Ethan up. "You're too little, Ethan."

"I'm not!" He argued loudly, cheeks red as the other kids giggled, nodding. "I'm not too young! I'm FIVE!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah." He quickly turned back to his friends, "Okay, so all the green grass down there is lava – but those white patches are land. Neville, why don't you be the Dragon? Oh! You can kidnap the princesses and then we'll come and get them back!"

"We're the princesses!" Parvati chirped excitedly, tugging at Padma's hand.

"And I'm the prince!" Harry finished, grinning and brandishing his toy sword. "I'll get you back, I promise! Ron, you can be a knight – and Anthony too. The rest of you be dragons-"

The children excitedly began to move into their positions while Ethan frowned. "Well, who am I then?"

"You're my little brother. The prince's little brother." Harry waved dismissively, crashing his sword against Anthony Goldstein's in practice.

"But….can I be the prince then?" Ethan mustered up.

His brother looked at him incredulously, "No, I'm older."

"But, it's MY birthday party!" Ethan began to whine, feeling very left out. It was bad enough that he happened to be the youngest child at his own birthday party, but he couldn't even be the prince?! "I want to be the prince!"

"So?" Neville shook his head, "Harry's a hero. He's the prince. He's always the prince."

"Yeah-" Harry tilted his head, eyes shining with victorious gleam. "I'm _always_ the prince, Ethan."

* * *

**I**t was a chilly October 25th that found six year old Ethan looking unsure around the dark playroom.

"And then the inferi appeared from behind the tree and grabbed the boy!" Harry grabbed Ethan from behind as the younger boy screamed. "It's soulless eyes stared at him as he began to eat his face off bit by bit-"

"Harry! LET ME GO!" Ethan howled, struggling out of his brother's grip as Harry laughed amusedly. "MUUUMMM!"

On cue, their mother appeared at the door with a frown. Lily's arms opened to envelop her youngest son, "Harry, what I have told you about telling your brother scary stories?!"

Harry's face took on a petulant pallor, "He asked me too!"

"No, I didn't!" Ethan cried, muffled by his mother's form. "I hate inferi!"

"But they like you Ethan! In fact, they like you so much they want to come tonight and eat your braaaainnsss-" Harry staggered toward his brother with his fingers curled to look like the gnarled digits of the creatures.

Ethan screamed shrilly.

"Harry!" Lily reprimanded, "That's enough! Stop upsetting him!" She reached out to give him a weak swat to the bottom, which was more than enough cause for Harry to yelp in outrage.

"Ow! Muuummm! Why are you so horrid!" Harry's eyes welled in practiced misery, "Ethan is just a big baby! See if I save you tonight – I hope they eat you bit by bit!" With that, Harry stormed out of the room and upstairs.

Ethan dissolved into tears almost immediately.

"Darling, he's just trying to scare you, nothing will get you, I promise." Lily comforted, cuddling him to her chest, "Now let's get you into bed."

* * *

**A** hour had passed and Ethan still couldn't fall asleep. His room, lit by the glow of his mother's nightlight charm looked like the perfect place for Inferi to lurk in. From every furniture cast shadow, they peeked around at him, smiling eerily… just waiting for him to fall asleep so they could pounce-

"Ethan!"

Ethan yelped and pulled his covers over his head as his door opened.

"It's just me." Harry slipped in, closing the door behind him.

"Go away!" Ethan sniffled, still clutching to his covers. He heard his brother sigh and felt the bed shift with the weight of him as Harry slipped in beside him, pulling the covers off his face.

"No. Listen, I'm sorry I scared you." Even in the half darkness, Ethan could make out his brother's impish expression. "It's just so funny to see you squeal."

The youngest Potter scowled.

"Ok ok, look, I just don't know why you get so scared! I mean, it's not like anything will hurt you." He paused, "I'd _never_ let anything hurt you."

Ethan eyed his brother suspiciously. "Really?"

"Really! You know how I'm the boy who lived? That means bad guys are scared of me, like, literally, SCARED. I will never ever EVER let anything hurt you."

"But…Inferi can't think, they don't know who you are-"

"Yeah, but I know what they ARE scared off – FIRE!" Harry jumped to his feet on Ethan's bed and spread his hands to the ceiling. "And if they ever come near you, I'll use my wandless magic and burn them to a crisp!"

Ethan giggled, "And they'll be gone forever!"

"Forever!" Harry echoed, wielding his pointer finger like a wand, "Stay away from my brother you ugly mugs! Burn!"

"Burn!" Ethan clapped as Harry fell back onto the bed. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Mum." He said more quietly, "I didn't want you to get smacked."

"Yes, you did." Harry rolled his eyes, "But I forgive you. Now go to sleep and I'll keep watch for any Inferi."

Ethan curled closer to his brother, "Thanks Harry, I love you."

"Love you too, brat."

* * *

**E**ngland was playing against the United States in the Quidditch Cup and Ten-year-old Harry hadn't stopped talking about the game for weeks. Now, in the VIP seating the brothers watched as their father and godfather walloped the other team. Sirius and James played seamlessly with one another, Sirius as defense as James zoomed through the skies to make goal after goal. The game had gone on for a full three days but the efforts of the players and spectators hadn't diminished.

"Another GOALLLLL for England! That's Potter's 15th of the match! We're at 500 to 350! What a sorry showing for the US National Team! Coach Stevens is looking mighty depressed, we bet he's kicking himself for all the bragging he did yesterday during the preshow! Potter sends to Davies, Black knocks Andrews off his broom! Ouch that's got to hurt – Morgan's darting toward something in the distance! Oh he's got his eye on the snitch! Is the US going to push this into a tie?"

"Henry do you know what that means?" The second announcer cooed, "Tommorrow is the day that team Captain Brankovitch III is allowed back on the pitch! The US's strongest player back in action! He'll be refreshed and ready to go, what a smart move by Morgan! Look at Brankovitch on the sidelines – he's practically salivating!"

Ethan gasped as the USA's seeker pushed closer to the fluttering golden snitch. England's seeker, across the pitch, was desperately trying to make it closer but it was obvious to everyone that he would fail. Sirius sent a bludger slamming toward the US seeker but he ducked it effortlessly.

"No!" Harry gasped, hands clenched around his England flag. "No!"

Just as the US seeker's hand was about to close on the snitch-

"GOAL FOR ENGLAND! POTTER SCORES! MORGAN'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH! It's 510 to 500! That maniac did it!"

"-WAITED TILL THE VERY LAST SECOND! I can't believe my eyes! This is one for the recordbooks – ah we're getting notification … goal was made 0.3 seconds before the snitch was caught!"

The crowd roared mighty cheers as James's teammates howled in ecstasy at the win. Sirius wooped and waved his bludger bat overhead before diving to the ground to join his teammates in a group hug.

James flew over to his family, face bright with excitement. "Did you see that! Did you see that!" His face was flushed, eyes fiercely bright and the boys thought their father had never looked more heroic.

"DAD!" Harry threw himself at their father with a whoop while Lily blushed prettily, giggling like a schoolgirl as James leaned past their son to kiss her. He tangled his hand in her red hair, pulling her close as the crowd cheered louder.

Ethan was quick up as well, and the boys bounced on the balls of their feet as James hammed it up for the media, turning to them and ruffling their hair affectionately.

The photographers, on brooms themselves, swooped nearby shouting instructions and congratulations at the chaser. "James! Take the boy-who-lived! Take him around the pitch! Let us get a photo for the paper!" They shouted and obligingly he reached a hand out to Harry who took it gleefully. Pulling his eldest son onto the broom he looped around the stadium as the crowd went wild.

"AND THERE IT IS! ENGLAND'S QUIDDITCH HERO AND HIS SON, ENGLAND'S SAVIOR! WHAT A FAMILY!"

Remus, laughing, leaned toward Lily, "What a dream! Harry will always remember this!"

Ethan would too, and for the same reason.

* * *

**D**iagon Alley trips were rare in the Potter family, what with the dark lord sniffing about for them all the time, so even though it was a depressing time (Harry was leaving to Hogwarts!) Ethan couldn't help but share a little of his elder brother's glee as they walked on the cobbled streets with vendors all around them.

"Ohhhh Gross! Bat Spleens!" Ethan gagged as he walked past a hatched kiosk managed by a hairy wizard with milky white eyes.

"Gross? That's what we were going to have for lunch today, Pronglittle." Sirius teased.

"No we aren't!" Ethan argued, looking quite horrified, "I won't eat it!"

"You have to." Sirius stated severely, "Afterall, that's what they serve at Hogwarts on Mondays so we have to prep Harry for it, right Remus?"

"Indeed." Remus grinned, "I'm afraid it's true."

Ethan gaped as Harry turned, looking a little pale. "On Mondays?" Harry rubbed at his scar.

"Harry, it's too horrible!" The youngest Potter impressed, pulling on Harry's hand, "You better stay home with me. Just tell Mummy and Daddy and we'll-"

"Stay home?" Harry's nose lifted in the air, "Staying at home is for babies, Ethan. I'm going to be a _wizard_. Of course I'll eat the Bat Spleens if I have to, that's just what adults do!" He extracted his hand from his brother's and strode forward to join his mother as she looked around for Amaneusis Quills.

"Merlin, he's just like me." James noted amusedly with a tad of exasperation.

"Karma, James." Peter reminded, his shadowed eyes looking blearily ahead of them.

James laughed and slung his arm about the shorter man's shoulders. "I suppose you're right, I fear for Hogwarts."

"It's alright, Ethan," Remus comforted, seeing his nephew's downtrodden face, "We'll let Harry deal with the bat spleens, you don't have to eat them-"

"Until you go to Hogwarts." Sirius reminded, smirking, "Then you'll have to eat at _least_ twelve a sitting!"

* * *

**T**he family outing had been long and arduous and ended with the family seated at the Leaky Cauldron as Harry waved his new wand about in front of Ethan's envious eyes.

"You missed it, Uncle Peter! There were these sparks and it was like I just knew it was mine –" Harry regaled their uncle with the story for a 100th time while a few tittering Hogwarts aged girls ran up to their table.

"James Potter?" They asked, flushed, as the Potter patriarch turned toward them with a raised eyebrow. "OHMYMERLIN it IS him!"

"We are your biggest fans!" The pretty blonde one impressed, "Well except for our parents-" She pointed at an excited looking witch and wizard in a booth, "Can we get an autograph? We got tickets to the next game for our birthdays and –"

James gave a smooth smile and slid out of the family's booth, "That's so nice to hear, girls. How about I come say hi to your parents and we take a photo or two?"

The girls' screams were deafening as they pulled the Potter patriarch away.

Lily laughed, "My husband, the heart throb."

Sirius had covered his face, turning toward the window until the girls were far away. "Are they gone?"

Remus looked amused, "Hiding from fan attention? That's unlike you –"

"I am so hungry right now I cannot even bare to do anything other than eat the golden crispy cod that is getting cooked for me right now. Besides, it's not fair to James. If I showed my face, they'd have forgotten him in a second." Sirius joked as Peter gave a snort. The handsome man nudged Lily, twirling his wand around his fingers, "Never thought that bespectacled little git would come this far, huh?"

"Speaking of gits," Remus laughed, "Where's Sev? Is he coming by?"

Sirius shook his head, "Nope, totally busy."

"Yeah, lots of school things to organize." Lily explained further, "He apparently has this deadly speech he gives the first year class and it requires some set up. He's really chuffed about being able to impress Harry's batch so-"

Suddenly, a gigantic sundae was placed on the table in front of them. Tall and magnificent, it was a mountain of delight. There were orange, green, pink and brown rounds of ice cream, with sparkling multicolored ones in between. Cascades of chocolate sauce flooded the glass bowl that was emblazoned with the stamp of the deluxe ice-cream company: Briefly Sweet that wizarding children everywhere dreamt about. Sprinkles tumbled down the mountain in a whirlwind of color and sugar.

Ethan and Harry gawked in amazement.

The innkeeper, an elderly gentleman, brandished a spoon toward Harry. "For the young Potter heir, the boy-who-lived! Only a token of what we owe you, sir!"

"Oh Harry-Bear!" Lily championed, "How lovely and well deserved!"

Almost immediately, the excitement and awe inside the youngest Potter plummeted to nothing but disappointment. His face fell, already realizing a second spoon had not been provided. Meanwhile, Harry was practically glowing.

Noticing this, Sirius frowned. "Hey!" He called out, "Oi, there's another Potter here as well. "

"Hm? Oh-" The innkeeper faltered, catching sight of the downtrodden redhead. "Oh-"

"That's my little brother!" Harry proclaimed loudly, "He likes ice cream too!"

"He's the best in his maths class." Lily said loudly, "And he has been the best shop finder today."

"Ah," The bushy eyebrows of the innkeeper climbed his forehead, "Ah, I see! Well, that does deserve a spoon as well-" He pottered back to his bar and returned a few moments a later, pressing a spoon into Ethan's hand. "There you go, young fellow."

"Thanks-" Ethan mumbled, face hot. He might have been young, but he knew pity when he saw it.

Harry kindly pushed the sundae tower closer to Ethan, but was quick to remind him of the order of things, "You can't have the sparkly ones!"

* * *

**T**he last year had been the most boring of Ethan's life. With Voldemort as a constant presence, he had been overprotected and sheltered as always, but without his brother the months had been close to unbearable. There was a terrible routine to every day without his playmate since birth.

The last_ few_ days had been relatively exciting, though.

"Well, your dentition has definitely changed." Dr. Figg tutted amusedly, her pretty eyes peering at Ethan from above her protective glasses as she placed her wand on the counter. "I would say you're just past 11 years old. That Hogwarts Letter your Dad has gone to inquire about will not be going anywhere."

Ethan gave her a toothy grin. The excitement was unbearable. He had been thoroughly punished for his crimes three days before, and away from his parents he felt as if he could only now properly enjoy the consequences.

"Don't you dare smile like that, Pronglittle." Sirius chided, "You're not out of trouble yet, not if your Father has anything to do with it." His godfather turned his smile onto the young healer, "He's a real troublemaker."

She smiled, "Oh, I wonder where he got that from! You forget, Mr. Potter has been my patient for the last two years –"

Sirius laughed, "Ha ha, you caught me. Well, I don't know where HE got it from."

Dr. Figg scrunched her nose up as she pulled a quill out and began making notes in Ethan's chart. "Mr. Black, Mr. Potter gave my staff pepperbomb candies at his last visit and very clearly stated they were procured from his dearest friend."

Sirius's expression was so funny that Ethan stifled a giggle. "Well, I was considering become a patient here. I wanted to make sure everyone could take a laugh."

"And what did you decide?"

"I'm not sure, what's your policy on dating patients?"

Dr. Figg blushed prettily and coughed, "Um, it's not allowed."

"Oh, I see. Well then I won't be becoming a patient, afterall."

Ethan rolled his eyes as his Godfather sidled up toward the young woman. Dr. Arulbella (As she had just told Sirius) Figg's eyes were bright after she had finally shooed Sirius out of the room so she could finish Ethan's exam.

"So." She said sitting down and eyeing Ethan's teeth. They had turned a very solid purple after his aging potion mishap. Her assistant, Lillia, popped in and handed the Healer a small pot of yellow salve that she quickly rubbed onto his violet enamel. "Why did you try to make that potion anyway? What was so bad about waiting one extra year?"

Ethan eyed the closed door and breathed. "My brother is Harry Potter."

"Yes, I know." Arulbella smiled, now using her wand to somehow clear his teeth of the stain. She worked one by one, his teeth feeling like they were humming and fizzing.

"You-know-who tried to hurt him this year."

"Yes," Dr. Figg's voice was sadder now, "I know. The philosopher's stone."

"But Harry is a hero, he fought him off."

"Hm." The young witch put her wand away, folding her hands in her lap as she let him finish his story.

"He protects everyone. But ….who will protect him?" Ethan said quietly, having not admitted this thought to anyone else. They always found it funny or endearing to think that the little brother could do anything to protect the elder, but Ethan knew he could. He braced himself for the amused laugh.

"Oh, Ethan." Dr. Figg sat his chair up, "Harry is_ so_ lucky to have a brother like you."

Ethan's face lit. It was one of the only times he could remember that statement phrased that way. Usually most people would praise only his brother, reminding Ethan how amazing it was that Harry was the boy-who-lived. As she let him pick a prize and took him out to see Papa Padfoot, Ethan took the opportunity to loudly ask Sirius if they could go for lunch together next week with Dr. Figg.

* * *

**T**he atmosphere in Hogwarts was tense and heavy. So far, four students had been petrified and Harry was the topic of the rumors due to his ability to speak parseltongue.

There had been many times when Ethan had wished Harry to be not so beloved, but he would never have wished this literal witch-hunt placed on his head. Walking past the library, he saw a group of Hufflepuffs from first and second year in a huddle.

"I told you, Potter was caught in the act!" Ernie MacMillan's loud voice boomed and immediately Ethan saw red. Rounding quickly on the older boy, he hit Ernie's books out of his hands. The tome for Transfiguration slid down the hallway. The other Hufflepuffs moved aside, looking stunned and unsure as to what to do.

"He didn't do anything! Harry saved the entire wizarding world, and he SAVED your friend from that snake, are you so stupid you can't even see that? You better stop talking bad about him!"

Ernie, though elder, wasn't any taller and so seemed hesitant to retaliate back physically. "Your brother speaks parseltongue, Potter. Saviour of the wizarding world is he? Maybe the only reason he beat you-know-who was because he is the NEXT dark lord!"

Now angered, Ethan pushed Ernie back, slamming him against the wall. "Harry is NOTHING like Voldemort! Take it back you git!"

A few minutes of fists and elbows later found Ethan being pulled off a bruised Ernie by Professor Snape.

"What's the meaning of this?" Snape snapped, keeping a firm hand on the snarling first year. "Twenty points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff!"

"But Potter started it!" The Hufflepuff audience cried out at the unfairness.

Snape took a sideways glance at the sullen faced Ethan and frowned. "Words begin fights more often than not. Macmillan you have detention tonight with me. Potter, you'll be with McGonagall. Now go, all of you!"

Ernie touched his bruised cheek and sent Ethan a haughty look. "I won't take it back, Potter. Like it or not, you know it's true."

"Macmillan! ONE WEEKS DETENTION!" Snape roared furiously and the Hufflepuffs quickly scattered.

Ethan lingered back until it was just the both of them, "Don't tell Dad, Uncle Sevi." He appealed quietly.

"Why not? You were standing up for your brother, I presume?" He slung an arm around the boy's small shoulders. "He'll be proud. Now come on, your Grandmother won't feel the same way. I'll help you break the news of your detention to her. She was _so_ hopeful that you'd be the less troublesome of the Potters."

* * *

**I**t was an unbearably sticky August 22nd. The atmosphere was somber as it had been every day since Harry's birthday and subsequent comatose state. Rubbing a hand over his forehead, Ethan decided to make the trip downstairs to get a glass of juice. Walking down the corridor he stopped in surprise upon spying a whole group of redheads entering the manor.

"Oh! Hello, what are you all doing here?" He greeted, a blush reaching his cheeks as Ginny shook her hair out from under her witch hat, handing the item to the house elf. "This is a real surprise!"

"Ah, little Potter," George began, "Oh! Mrs. Potter, hello!"

Lily, pale and tired, approached with Petunia by her side. "Oh, hello kids! How are you?"

"These are for you-" Fred pushed a basket of cookies into his mother's arms. "Mum wants to make sure you're getting your daily dose of sugar."

"And we're doing fine, Mrs. Potter." Ginny smiled graciously, "How have you been?"

"As well as can been expected. This is my sister, Petunia. She's been a rock for me." Lily accepted the cookies and handed the basket to Ethan who promptly bit into one of the confections.

Aunt Petunia looked surprised but pleased by the compliment.

"We were wondering if we could see Harry?" Ron asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "We won't disturb him, we just wanted to see him-"

"I should hope you _would _disturb him!" Lily joked mildly, "Yes, come up with me. We were just on our way to sit with him."

"I'll be honest, Mrs. Potter, I've been dying to see him-"

"He has indeed," Fred began.

"Whines about it every day-" George continued.

"More than even Ginny!" Fred laughed, slinging an arm around his sister who with a smile toward Ethan followed her brothers upstairs.

Ethan waited until they were all out of sight before heading toward the kitchen. Inside, at the breakfast table, the remnants of the brown wrapping paper that had held his new Sunfire were just being cleaned up. There had been no fanfare. No 'Birthday Brunch'. His mother had been apologetic and Aunt Petunia had made him French toast while clucking to him that his father had to meet with some healers from Europe today but would be back tomorrow to take Ethan out for lunch.

"Master Ethan, sir! Pippy heard the Weasleys are here! For your birthday?" The house elf looked so pleased that the boy felt worse for her than himself.

"No, Pippy." Ethan lay the basket down and took three of the cookies in his hand, "They're here for Harry."

* * *

**T**he 4th year boys dormitory was empty. It was a chilly Sunday afternoon in February and most people had left on the Hogwarts Express for halfterm the day before. Since their Father still lay in hospital, Snape would be taking the brothers home that night and would drop the Weasleys off at the same time. It was nice that their friends had stayed to keep them company. Best of all, it gave Ethan a chance to spend some time with his girlfriend.

Quality time.

Ginny's lips were pinkened from their snog session as they lay on his bed in an absent cuddle.

"So, Harry and you will be staying with Snape the whole time?" She asked, scrunching her freckled nose at Ethan, "So boring, I think you should've asked to come stay with us."

"Well, then Draco would be alone. It's not really fair."

"So?" She frowned, "I don't think he'd mind."

"Maybe I could come spend a day or two," Ethan thought, fingering a curl of ginger hair. "Maybe on Valentine's. I suppose Harry will be there to keep Draco company-"

"I meant the both of you." Ginny sighed, sounding suddenly exasperated. "You know, Harry used to spend so much time with us and then Malfoy comes into the picture and the lot of you couldn't be bothered to visit the Burrow." She sat up, untangling herself from Ethan's arms.

Immediately, a cold feeling struck through Ethan's system and his eyes sharpened. "First of all, there has been a lot of shit going on this last year, Ginny. Secondly, Draco is family now and he saved Harry's life last year. Your brother doesn't have an issue with it, why do you? And finally, I just said I'd come, why does it matter about Harry?"

"Well, because!" Ginny had colored, "Harry's my friend and I don't like – I don't like – we should all be spending time together like before."

"Spending time with your boyfriend's brother isn't usually a priority for most girls." Ethan deadpanned, getting off his bed.

"No," Ginny said quietly, "It's isn't."

"It isn't." Ethan repeated.

A long silence stretched out between them.

"So, was anything real?" He asked softly, not wanting to know but needing to all the same.

"I….You're lovely, Ethan. I just want us all to be a group."

"So you can be closer to Harry?"

"No!" But her face was red and Ethan heard the lie in her voice.

An anger consumed him. An anger at Ginny, at himself for being blind and at his brother for being the perfect being once again.

"He will never date you." Ethan spat through gritted teeth, "_Never_. And now neither will I."

"Ethan, please wait!"

He turned and walked out of the dormitories, tears burning at his eyes for a flash second. Ethan quickly swallowed the sensation and took a breath. This wasn't new. This was the way things were. Harry came first and was the golden boy. He came second and well… it was the rules of pureblood culture: they were very clear with who gets everything and who gets nothing.

* * *

**A** few weeks later found Ethan's mind the farthest it had ever been from Ginny. Finding Sirius and being pushed to the brink of devastation and back had made his failed romance feel far, far away.

Ron, Hermione, Draco and Harry were seated around James' bed, discussing OWLs, so Ethan decided to take the time to grab something to eat. Getting up he walked outside into the hallway, noticing the small hunched form of Parvati in the nearby alcove.

"Parvati?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Startled, the pretty girl looked up at him, her eyes red and glittering with tears that dripped down her cheeks.

"Ethan!" She gasped, rubbing at her eyes quickly and turning her face from him.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly.

"Nothing." She shook him off, "Nothing, don't worry."

"Parvati, come on."

"Trust me, Ethan. What I'm dealing with is nothing comparable to what you are going through. Please, forgive me and just forget it." She turned to walk away when he grabbed her arm.

"Parvati, stop. Is it Draco?"

Her torn eyes searched his face before she gave a great sigh. "I went out to firecall home and he had joined them in the room. How could I go in there?"

"What happened between you?" Ethan questioned as she wrapped her arms around her small frame.

The girl looked at him with honeyed eyes, sad and beseeching all the same. "I…can't say."

"Why?"

"Because you might think badly of him, or worse, because you're so close you might dismiss it, and either of those things would kill me. "

Taking her hand and pulling her down so they sat against the wall, Ethan frowned. "Parvati, you've known me since we were kids, I promise you I will be as neutral as possible." Although she had been a little bossy and demanding when they were small, Parvati had also been kind and sweet to Ethan. He had clung to her during scary games and she had never laughed at him.

He had harboured a crush on her since before he could remember, and when his brother took her to the Yule Ball he had been numbly crushed. It hadn't been Harry's fault exactly, he hadn't known. He never _meant_ to have the things Ethan wanted, he just did.

But here, as the young woman cried and told him how their newest family member had responded to her mistake, how his anger had released, Ethan got to be the hero for once. He might not be able to fight dark lords, but his heart gave him the ability to care and to support, and maybe that was good enough.

* * *

**T**wo nights before Hogwarts started, Ethan had just had Aunt Arulbella's delicious pumpkin glazed salmon for dinner before heading back to the hospital. His mother had told him that Sirius was finally allowed visitors who were minors, so Ethan had decided to take a look at his Godfather. Ruffling his hair as he spied a passing young witch, he turned confidently into his Uncle's corridor.

About to walk in, a broad smile stretched on his face to greet his brother, he came to a confused halt as Harry's words pierced into his mind.

"-And then I started Hogwarts and it was insane - I was the biggest star ever. I had so much money suddenly and everyone knew my name – I met Ron on the train and Hermione right after –"

Huh? Ron and Harry had been friends since they were all kids together. Hesitating, Ethan hovered behind the door, listening to his brother's story.

His brother's story of Sirius being alive, of being a famous star, of belonging to another world.

This wasn't _his_ Harry at all.

As Harry spoke of discovering about their parents, Ethan came to another realization. In his world, Ethan never existed.

That was the thing about spares: they were expendable.

**To be Continued….**

I am eager to hear your thoughts! What do you **think of Harry**? Do you think **Ethan's second child** complex is valid? What are your thoughts on **Snape's loyalties** after reading this look into the past? What do you think will happen now that Ethan knows? And most importantly: What are **YOUR feelings on Ethan**?

If you're enjoying the story **please take the time to leave me a hello **or a comment! I am as always **inspired by your comments** and I would love to hear your voices! I will always reply.

**Thanks for reading and please review! :D  
**


	23. Attack at St Mungo's

Welcome back! I've had an unfortunate event occur in that I was **pick-pocketed** just last week! It was an awful experience and it took a few days before I managed to get back my writing kick. I'm still very **unsettled** by the whole thing.

Please check my profile to see my **TUMBLR (Usako3000) **which is filled only with tidbits, images and insider information on this story. Thanks to reviewers I was unable to respond to: Fudge, fu, Liz, , Guest, and saphron0076.

This was a **difficult chapter** for me to write, simply due to the argument between Harry and his brother. I want nothing more than to make **everything butterflies and roses** for **Harry**, but for the sake of the plot, there will be some antagonistic times up ahead for him. Keep in mind: Being in the shadow of a brother who loves you is one thing, being in the shadow of a brother who doesn't even really remember you is another.

I will note that although Harry might've come across a little bratty in the previous chapter, we must keep in mind it was a biased view to fit the theme of that interlude. You'll get a little more of this world!Harry's good side in this chapter.

Please **remember to take the time to leave a review**, I really appreciate your comments and presence.

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 23**

**Attack at St. Mungo's**

* * *

**E**than had heard everything.

Harry was so shocked that for a moment he did nothing except reel at what had just happened. Then, the gravity of the situation dawned on him and he shot to his feet after his brother. Out in the hallway he caught up to Ethan quickly and grabbed the retreating boy by the arm.

"Let go of me!" His brother wrenched his arm from Harry's grip before rounding on the taller boy and pushing him in the chest.

Surprised, Harry stumbled back, managing to catch himself only as his trainers skidded and gripped onto the tiled floors. "Ethan-" He couldn't keep the hurt from his voice.

"What?" His pain was mirrored in the younger boy's tone. In this type of devastated anger, Ethan looked every inch their mother. "What is it, Harry?!" He spat, "Or was your name different there too?"

"OK." Harry held his hands out, palms toward Ethan in an attempt to calm the other boy down. He was well aware of the looks they were getting from hospital staff and other passer-bys and desperately did not want to make a scene. "Can you just give me a minute to explain? Let's just floo back home and-"

"It's _not_ your home." Ethan snidely remarked, "You're not my brother, really."

The words cut. "I am your brother!" Harry felt the ground drop from under his feet at his brother's statement. There was the distinct feeling of being on the edge of losing everything he held dear: James, Sirius, Lily and Ethan. "Ethan, I am!" Despite himself, his eyes became glassy and Harry cursed to himself. He had never been as emotionally distraught as he had had once he had found himself with family to love and more importantly, family to lose.

Ethan also noticed the crystal quality of Harry's eyes and shifted uncomfortably, cheeks red. "Whatever."

"We'll go back to the house, okay?" Harry tried again.

Ethan was mute, but turned fast enough to produce a squeak from the floor. The two brothers walked in silence to the main entrance of the hospital. Harry didn't dare say anything, for the anger radiating from his brother was almost palpable. At the Floo Network fireplace, Ethan pushed past Harry, not waiting for him to join and flooed himself home.

Once Ethan disappeared into the green flames, Harry rested his head on the mantle for a moment and took a few deep breaths. He tried desperately to calm his racing heart before reaching for the floo powder and calling his address out loudly: "Godric's Hollow!"

He had barely stumbled out of the fireplace in their home before the wards that checked whether he was family slammed into him. They made him feel as if he had just been soaked by a cold heavy wave of water. Yet, even as he was cleared, the house felt no warmer. Harry flinched at the feeling inside of it, still unused to it. It was scarcely reminiscent to the warm happy home he had first found when he had entered this world. Now, it was empty and partially abandoned, a shell of a home. Although the house elves had done a good job staving off dust and cobwebs, the manor itself felt as if it had gone to seed, comatose just like its master. The odd Christmas decoration was still up - adding to the emotional disrepair that clung to their home.

Speaking of emotional disrepair, Ethan was sitting on a couch, dark faced and glowering.

"Hey." Harry awkwardly greeted, though it had only been a few moments ago that they had been together at the hospital.

"Oh you recognize me, do you?" He returned with a sneer.

Harry gave an exasperated sigh, "Ethan! Seriously! Can you give me a second to explain?"

"You already explained well enough, Harry. I heard your story to Sirius. I know what an heir's wish is – in case you've forgotten, I'm one as well."

Harry started. He had, in fact, never thought of that. "Have you made one, then?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "No and if I could right now it'd be to be an only child."

"Ouch." Harry winced, sitting down across from his brother as the boy continued his tirade.

"Isn't that what _you_ were? You didn't even know me – if Mum and Dad died when you were a year old - I was never born, was I? And there you were, gushing to Sirius, talking about how wonderful that life was!"

"Wonderful?!" Harry mouthed, "No, it wasn't wonderful! Why would I have wished for this life, then?! I had to live with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, they made me live in the cupboard underneath the stairs, Ethan! Did you hear that part?!"

The surprise on Ethan's face showed that he had, in fact, not.

"They were so hard on me, they raised me to feel like I was a servant, a freak! I was treated like dirt – getting my Hogwarts letter was such a relief. When I finally got there –"

"Yes, you were famous. I heard your story of first year. Famous in both worlds; typical of your luck."

"My LUCK?" Harry angered, face turning red, "Dad's in the hospital, Sirius is the same and not to mention Voldemort is just salivating over wanting to kill me!"

"Yeah, so?" Ethan returned quickly, "We have the same life here, Harry! We are _all_ suffering from those same things! You think Voldemort wouldn't mind torturing me to death? You think Dad and Sirius don't affect me too? It's not just you!" The young Gryffindor's characteristic cat-like stare was wide and blazing, "But as usual, I'm just Harry freakin' Potter's little brother: All of the shit and none of the glory! Not even a _life_ in the other world that is so much easier in your eyes!"

Harry was quiet for a moment, letting his brother rightfully berate him. He hadn't ever considered Ethan's point of view, too focused on his own trials and feelings. Suddenly he saw how silent and strong the younger boy was; suffering all the same losses but never lashing out because of it. He tried to pick his words carefully, "I'm….sorry … I never thought of it that way-"

"You and my real brother, both." Ethan glowered.

"I am your real brother!" Harry gasped, "I… Poppa knows! I told him everything! He said that…I'm the same - that this life happened as well! I just haven't unlocked all my memories of this world and…" Ethan looked unimpressed, so Harry attempted a different line of discussion, "I'm sorry you thought I was happier there! That….that's not at all what I meant to get across. It was not wonderful at all! In fact … I …. I've never been happier than when I've had you as a brother!"

His younger sibling wouldn't meet his eyes, so Harry continued on. "I have a temper - I don't know – everything I want to say comes out wrong – it's just… I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I _am_ grateful for the heir's wish – it's just I'm guilty! Just so I'm happier did I put the world into a worse state? All that glory is misplaced on me, really."

"Can you go back?" Ethan asked sharply.

Harry rubbed his forehead, "No! ...I don't know! What does that matter-"

"If you can't change anything, then why can't you just accept it then? I don't see how you can hang on to a world where the rest of don't exist, Harry!" Ethan exclaimed and the elder Potter boy heard the pain in his tone. "Guilty or not, how can you? And how could you have kept this from us? From me!"

Harry felt the unfairness at the accusation. His brother had no idea the guilt on his shoulders, the weight he had had to bear for so many years, "Ethan, I didn't even know you!"

It was the wrong thing to say and Ethan reeled back as if hit. Harry was quick to try and make amends, "I mean, not at first! The important thing is I know you now! I've been wanting to tell you, Ethan, it has been weighing on my mind, but the time was never right – I'm sorry, I -

Harry gave a great breath, "Getting my memories of being a son and brother has been slow. I want so desperately to be good at it, I really have been trying to learn." It seemed as if might be winning the redhead over, so Harry dared a look at him, "I mean … besides, maybe this is luckier for us both? I was a bit spoiled, wasn't I? Arrogant even? I'm not like that. I can be a better brother this way –" He meant to appeal to the side of Ethan that might have been oppressed by his more confident other self. Harry had had enough memories of their childhood to be well aware of his more dominating personality in this timeline. Instead however, Ethan's eyes blazed all the more.

"What?" He seethed, "How dare you!" There was a sharp tilt to Ethan's jaw, "What happened when I was six and Mum and I got Dragon pox?"

"Huh?" Harry stuttered, confused.

"My brother sat with me and Mum the entire time to keep us entertained even though it meant that he got it as well! When Dad tried to coax him away he kissed us both to prove that he'd rather get it than leave us! What about when you realised Voldemort was going to steal the stone that day at Hogwarts?"

"I….I don't –"

"My brother owled me before he went to look for it so that I was able to tell our parents so Poppa and Uncle Sev could return to the school and save him! He never kept secrets!" Ethan's voice was loud, "Why did you break your leg at Christmas two years ago?"

"Ethan-" Harry's mouth had gone extremely dry.

"Because the featherbuzzes in the forest caused a sudden terrible gust and I fell off my broom! My brother flew down to the bottom and broke my fall with his BODY! Arrogant? Spoiled? Maybe! But my brother knew the value of love and family! He knew that one of us meant all of us, Harry!"

The interrogation had taken all the air out of the boy-who-lived and he could barely managed to process Ethan's words.

"You still never answered my question – how can you hang on to that other life in any way when you know that I'm ALIVE in this world and nonexistent there?! Do you have any idea how that feels, Harry? Complaining to Sirius about how scared you are, how you feel alone in this battle – WE ARE ALL HERE! How can you not even see that?" Ethan looked at him, astonished. "You talk about your guilt - about your stress - but we're a FAMILY, Harry! We're all in this together! Your guilt? Your happiness? You think this entire world - our entire lives - are only about their repercussions on you?"

Harry was speechless. He searched for the words to say, but couldn't find them. He stared wide-eyed as his brother set a level gaze on him. "Don't insult my brother again, because as far as I'm concerned you're _not_ him."

The words resounded in the room so coldly that Harry felt a chill up his spine. "Ethan…"

"I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about. Not yet, anyhow. Mum has enough on her plate without knowing that you've been lying to us for the last half year; that you would have the audacity to waffle about everything being easier in a world where we were all dead." Ethan stood, expression dark and furious and turned toward the door. "A seeker as always, Harry, you're definitely not a team player."

"Ethan, wait!" Harry jumped to his feet and reached for his brother. A force slammed into him hard, sending him slamming back into the armchair he had been seated in.

Wandless magic at its best, Ethan didn't even bother to look at Harry before storming out of the living room.

* * *

**H**arry had tried to appeal to his brother, but found Ethan's bedroom door locked. He would have camped out there all night, but figured he needed to tell his Mum and Remus that they had gone home, lest he get in more trouble for vanishing. By the time he had flooed back from St. Mungo's, Aunt Arulbella was home and sleeping. Not wanting to seem conspicuous, he had retreated to his room, unsettled. Harry knew he had hurt his brother and in his heart he knew the words that he should have said. Unfortunately, the sentimentality and easy love so common in family was something he was still getting used to and it hadn't been first nature to him. Sleep did not come easy to him during the night, as while he tried to make plans to repair his relationship with Ethan, he wondered if there was even a relationship left to repair.

The next morning, Ethan was gone by the time Harry woke. It was the last Sunday of Easter break, and Harry took the time to pack his trunks for Hogwarts before going to the hospital.

Walking into Sirius' room, Harry felt his heart stop as he saw Ethan and Remus in deep conversation.

"Hey-?" He interrupted, voice high.

"Hello, Harry." Remus greeted, normal as usual.

Green eyes flashed to his brother who only scowled darkly back before looking away.

"Did you already eat?"

"Yeah, I did." Harry shrugged off his outer robes and sat down. "Is he any better?"

"Not really," Remus explained sadly, "The Healers had hoped he'd be stable enough to take off life support today but so far his magic or vitals haven't stabilized enough to manage on his own. Your Aunt Arulbella is meeting with them right now, we'll hopefully know more soon."

Harry's eyes moved toward the numerous colored beads that constantly flew around Sirius' body. Wizarding life support was a lot less brutal looking than muggle: no masks, tubes or open wounds. It was tempting to imagine that Sirius was just sleeping or at worst, simply comatose like James instead of on the brink of death.

"Have you packed for school?" Remus' tone was loaded.

"Yes." Harry answered quickly. "Yes, I have."

His uncle settled back, pleased at his positive behaviour. "Good."

"I'm going to go sit with Dad for awhile." Ethan announced abruptly, leaving the room as if his heels were on fire.

It seemed forgiveness would be a lot more difficult with Ethan than with Remus.

"Don't worry about him, he's been in a mood." Remus commented lightly, "I explained that we can try and get you boys for visits on the weekends, but he didn't cheer up in the least. Do you know what's wrong?"

"No." Harry felt his neck heat up, knowing very well what was wrong. "But I'll try and make him feel better when we get to school." The atmosphere at Hogwarts would be much more calming than this daily hospital routine. Ethan would _have_ to find a way to listen to him…right?

Remus and Harry chatted for about twenty minutes before Tonks came running into the room. Her hair was bright red, face stressed.

"Remus! We have to go!"

The werewolf was jumping to his feet, a grim look to his features. "What's happened?"

"Azkaban. Now!"

Harry stood, goosebumps prickling onto his arms. What was happening? The couple raced out of the room before he could even yell out: "Be careful!"

Outside in the hallway, a commotion was occurring. Healers, visitors and patients were talking loudly. A mad intensity seemed to have struck the hospital as everyone scrambled toward wiz!visions.

He was about to move toward one when he saw a familiar face rushing past.

"Neville!"

His housemate turned to look at him, face weary. When had Neville grown so much? It occurred to Harry with great sadness that he had barely spent anytime with the other boy this last half year, "What are you doing here?"

Neville looked torn to stop his fast walk, so Harry strode in tandem with him. "I had to come see my Da. I just need to make sure he's okay-"

"Why?" Harry tried to separate his memories from his old world to his new. In his old world, Neville had had two parents who had been tortured to insanity by the Lestranges. In this one … yes, it had been something similar, but only Neville's father had been so far gone. His mother had been crippled but mentally was otherwise fine. Still, Harry didn't want to say anything in case he was mistaken. "What's happening?"

"Didn't you hear the news? You-know-who has taken Azkaban! All the imprisoned Death Eaters have been freed. Including those- those-" Neville's fist curled, his lower lip pushing in behind his front teeth, a curse on the tip of his tongue at the thought of the sociopaths behind his Father's madness.

"God. I didn't – I'm sorry –"

Neville turned suddenly. "It's okay, Harry. Thanks. I just really want to see my Dad right now. I'm sorry too, I've heard about everything-"

Harry shrugged, needing news not condolences, "How many Death Eaters were there, Neville?"

The boy's face was gloomy as he turned to look at Harry before entering into a stairwell. "He'll be using all of them, Harry, not just the ones who were Death Eaters before. Hundreds, I think. And the dementors too." Neville turned to leave but froze, returning to face Harry with a solemn gaze. "Harry, that Pettigrew man who attacked you … he'll have gone with them too."

There were no dementors nearby just yet, but still Harry's blood ran ice cold.

* * *

**H**e wound his way back to Sirius' room, heartbeat so loud in his ears he could barely bare it. Inside, Aunt Arulbella was standing at her husband's bedside.

"Peter's escaped!" Harry blurted out, "Did you hear, is it true?"

The pretty witch turned and held her arms out to Harry. Harry, distraught and needing the affection, took the embrace gratefully. "I heard, Harry. I heard."

Snape turned the corner into the hospital room and regarded Sirius' motionless body with some surprise. "He's still on the life support?"

Arulbella nodded sadly, over Harry's shoulder.

"I see." Snape returned severely, "Come Arul, Dumbledore wants your help. There are some minor casualties on site and they must be mobilized to pursue. Harry, go stay in your Father's room, your mother will be back shortly."

Letting go of Harry, his Aunt moved toward Snape, "Is it good news?"

The look Snape gave the witch very clearly stated it was, in fact, not.

* * *

**A** few hours later, a stressed Harry was napping in his father's room when he suddenly convulsed awake, his scar searing pain through his body. One moment he was staring at the ceiling to the hospital room, the next he was blinking into the outside of St. Mungo's, then back again and again.

"Agh!" He yelled as the pain ripped at his forehead. He struggled to gain control of the situation, already aware he was close to entering into Voldemort's point of view. "No!"

_Kill whomever you wish, but the boy is mine. _

Distantly, he was aware of his mother calling his name while he fought with the pain. Trying to implement the mental blocks he had learned from Dumbledore's pensieve, he found himself sprawled on the ground, his head throbbing.

It took him barely a second to analyze what he had seen, what he had _heard_ -and the warning was spilling from his lips at the very moment the ground shook.

"He's attacking the hospital!" Harry turned to the window, watching as it buckled under the force of offensive magic, giving a great creak.

A resounding boom shook the hospital once more, screams echoing through the hallways. Voldemort's intelligence and power in this world was startling; he had the forces to manage an Azkaban breakout and an attack on the wizarding hospital in the same day?

Lily was already sending out a _phonenixus_ spell, when four more crashes had the candles going out. A strange noise overtook the hospital, an odd screech that pierced their ears.

"Oh God, the magic center is failing." Lily spelled a lighting charm in the room as all the little baubly lights that monitored their father began to flicker.

"What?" Ethan glanced at their father, his face pale.

"The magic that the hospital runs on, it's stopped – this is-" She was finishing her sentence when the three of them shared startled looks.

The gravity of the situation hit Harry hard and limbs trembling, he was running out of his father's room toward Sirius'.

Sirius, whose very life was wholly dependent on that magic center.

The air was cold between his teeth. The witches and wizards he pushed by; just a blur. His heart was in his throat.

Skidding about the corner to his Godfather's room, he was just in time to see the flickering, floating, life supporting beads blink into nothingness. The high pitched screech they gave as they fell away matched the shrill scream in his own ears.

Harry leapt upon his godfather, trying to find a pulse.

It was there and then it petered away into nothing.

Sirius was dead.

From the window, Harry was only dimly aware of the giant fireballs rocking the building, the orange glow casting warm shadows on his face. Outside, the screams of witches and wizards from all through the building echoed. Inside, Harry felt the niggling sensation of Voldemort's intense glee at being just moments away from him.

And suddenly, he was being pulled far, _far_ away.

The feeling was something akin to portkeying, but very different at the same time. He felt both nauseous and yet peaceful. It was a hospital room still, a dark one, where he found himself … although, there didn't seem to be any structure to anything….

That was strange.

In fact … _was_ it a hospital room? Now that he thought about it, Harry couldn't really say where he was or even describe it accurately … he just … _was_.

"Harry Potter_._" A girl greeted.

"Welcome."

"We've been waiting."

Three women faded in and out of view. One was blonde and pale. The second was olive skinned with auburn red hair his mother would have been proud of. The third had pale caramel skin with hair so black it made his eyes hurt.

"Poor boy."

"You made such a big wish."

"Unprecedented, the changes."

"Calling to us in such small ways and then the biggest way of all."

"The star." The blonde one reminded.

"The birthday." The redhead nodded.

"The heir." The brunette heralded.

"Harry James Potter." They chorused, looking excited.

"Who are you?" He found his tongue. "I…I have to go, Sirius is- Sirius is-"

"_Dead_?" The blonde was all too happy to supplement. "Such a pity."

The taller one … wait, no, they were all the same height. In fact, they looked as if they were all the same person. In one moment they seemed as if they were each every single race ever to have existed and yet like none that ever did. The only thing that stayed constant was their hair color. "That is why we are here. We are here because of your heir's wish."

"Made at a most desperate time." The redhead floated by him as they circled around.

"It was only fair that we wait until a moment of equal darkness to come see you." The blonde nodded.

"For it was so unprecedented, indeed." The dark haired one smiled sweetly, "So unprecedented that we are here to give you a choice."

He knew what they were here for before he even spoke. It was a moment he had been wondering about, imagining, and dreading all this time. "To take it back?" Harry gaped in horror.

"To undo what you've done. To return the timeline to what it was." The pretty smiles he had noticed were actually dreadfully vicious in the right light. "You wished when you knew only the darkness there before and today you have the knowledge of the darkness ahead here"

Their hands reached out to him, gripping and pulling at him.

"_Harry James Potter, would you like to undo your Wish of Life?"_

**To be Continued…**

Only two questions exist at a time like this:

1) **Should Harry take back his wish? What would YOU do?  
**

2) Is Sirius gone? Is the author _that _mean to do it so soon after discovering him?

Since I began writing this story, it was this scene that always remained a constant. Harry's choice – it's one of the biggest climaxes in this tale. As a **celebration of that,** I will again **choose one reviewer of this chapter** as a thank you and **place their alias in a future chapter**!

**Thanks for reading and please remember to review** with your thoughts, concerns, analysis or simple hellos!** I will always respond! :) **


	24. The Big Moments

**Welcome back! **We have an action packed chapter coming up, Harry makes his choice and the action begins! Please check my profile to see my **TUMBLR (Usako3000) **filled with tidbits, images and insider information on this story. An image inspired by this chapter will be up!

Thank you so much for your responses last chapter. As a thank you, two reviewer (of last chapter) usernames have been fit into the flow of the story (Kazo Sakamari and beautifulyellowflame).

Please take the time to review, you have no idea how much I appreciate it.

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 24**

**The Big Moments**

* * *

**T**heir offer rang in Harry's ears. "What?" He choked.

"I feel as if we were clear." The Blonde sighed, looking at her sisters.

"Very clear," The brunette supplied coldly.

"Would you like to undo your wish?" The redhead repeated as they continually circled him, over and over, so quickly that a dizzy nausea congested his sinuses.

"We could take you back-"

"-back to the night you made the wish-"

"-reestablishing the timeline to what it once was."

"But-" Harry struggled to combat the sudden feeling of claustrophobia washing over him. "What? I…I can't think." His mind took him to that night, sitting in the 2nd bedroom of 4 Privet Drive, empty and devastated. Alone.

"Two alternate timelines, Harry Potter. Each with their own result." Their hands moved as they spoke and squinting, Harry could just make out that connecting the three was a thin, barely visible, silver string. "It is your choice and yours alone."

"How do you mean? Own result? They end differently? Is one darker?"

"For some."

"No timeline can be the same. Each has it's own path to take. Your decision will settle which shall be." The brunette smiled as if this was to be something comforting. The three women had stopped circling him. Instead they simply floated in the black air, dipping in and out of the darkness.

"But, I don't want that on me!" Harry argued. "I don't want that weight!"

The women looked disgusted. "You are a heir. You are a wizard. You are Harry Potter. Your power is not a gift, it is a responsibility."

"Power? _My_ power? It's Voldemort who has that here! _Voldemort_ is so powerful here!" He struggled to voice his thoughts, panic in his heart, "He's here right now, attacking the hospital! He's coming for me!"

It was clear that the attack was because of his family's presence within the institution. It wasn't any chance that Voldemort would have staged such a large scale assault on a hospital of all places. It had been genius really; the Azkaban breakout in the morning so all the Ministry and the Order were distracted; and then this. Genius and terrifying.

"I don't know how to fight him. I don't. Everyone will die because of me. Sirius is dead because of me. I know you say it's a responsibility but I don't want that! I don't want more deaths on me ... that's all I've ever caused!"

The darkness billowed around the women, in and out, over and over again and still they said nothing.

"I love my family so much, but look how they're suffering because of me! I never knew…I never knew how hard it was to care about people - to worry about them all the time. It hurts so much to love them so much." Harry felt his nose become congested, his eyes prickling with tears. "The one person I loved from my old world….he's gone."

Ultimately, this is what it came down to. Never had Harry felt so distraught, so wild, so vulnerable since arriving in this world. He wasn't used to worrying about others, about feeling that the loss of someone would literally kill him. Maybe it was better to go back … to go back to a place without commitments, without ties, without guilt and stress over the fates of others.

"Can you tell me anything? Anything to help me?" He pleaded onto interested ears. "I have to face him, don't I? Face Voldemort here? Will it be the same there?"

The three sisters looked at one another, conversing silently before the raven-haired one spoke. "The outcome of your battle with Tom Riddle will come sooner here." Her voice had the airy quality of a prophecy being told and it chilled Harry to the bone.

"Soon?"

"_Much_ sooner," The blonde warned.

The fear took Harry's heart. He wasn't ready … How could he possibly survive? Would staying here be a death sentence? He didn't want to die! The one constant that had pulled him through all his past encounters with death was his ever present will to live. He _wanted_ to **live**! What hope did he have here? Where Sirius was dead, James lay dying and everyone was so beaten down and at war?

But then ….

Draco. Here, the blonde was freed from his father's torturous clutches. In the other world he was still knee deep in the darkness. Would he ever manage to make his own path there or would he become the very man he despised the most?

Cedric. The boy was alive here, able to live a life. He had been so young and good, could Harry take that away? Even if Amos had died instead, he knew the elderly wizard would have made the trade in a heartbeat.

Neville. His mother was alive here. The boy wasn't nearly as lost and confused as he was in the other world. He had family and if there was one thing Harry knew, it was that family was so _very_ important.

Remus. Here he wasn't a lost vagrant professor. He had a full life, was a strong man and part of a family. He had had the chance to live, to grow.

Snape. Harry didn't know much about the man he had so hated in his other life, but anyone could have seen that he was a terribly unhappy person. Here, he was respected and trusted, blessings that no one in the other timeline would ever offer him.

James and Lily. His own beloved parents were shadows of themselves at this time but surely with such good hearts that was better than being simply shadows alone?

Ethan. Could Harry condemn his brother to a life not lived? Where would he go? The younger Potter was so filled with life, so filled with power and potential, he deserved to live. How could Harry, in an attempt to protect himself, let his brother vanish into nothing?

There were so many dead here, so many shattered lives, but at the same time there were a lot of other lives still good, maybe even better.

Circumstances may have changed, but ultimately it was what you did with them that mattered. The epiphany hit Harry hard. It _wasn't_ all about him. It had _nothing_ to do with his fears, his panic. Those thoughts had been selfish. He had been blessed with power and he now understood what the witches meant about responsibility.

It wasn't just _his_ wish of life. It belonged to a great number of people.

Sirius might be gone, but for once that knowledge did not pull Harry into a place of wild unmanageable emotion. In this world, he had family, people who felt the same loss that he did, people who loved him.

And Harry loved them back. He loved them so much that he could not be selfish. He had to be strong. He would not run.

Voldemort might be all powerful here, but Harry's family made him powerful as well. That intense love for them gave him something to fight for, gave him something to believe in. What was it that Ethan had said? One of us means all of us.

His wish had been for something he desperately wanted and he had been blessed with that. Therefore, no matter the burden, he would fight for it, he would become the hero that would be needed, the hero that deserved such a wish.

Loudly, he spoke: "No."

"No?" The brunette repeated.

"I don't want to undo anything."

"You are going to keep your Wish of Life?" The blonde affirmed.

"Hell yeah, I am!" The blood in his veins pulsed through him with passion. "And don't ask me again!"

"May God be with you, Harry Potter." The raven-haired woman pulled the string from her sister's hands victoriously and as it knotted around her hand a floodgate opened in Harry's mind. Suddenly the memories of both worlds were clear and mingled in his head. He felt the rush of 15 years of life in this world open to him once more, welcomed back into his being as if they had been gone all too long. A wisdom took the boy as only one who had lived two parallel lives could have.

The love for his family and friends grew large and more prominent still in his heart and then there was the feeling of flying, of having no connection to anything including his own body, before he landed back on Sirius' hospital bed as the fireball spells rocked the hospital's foundation, a blazing orange lighting the room.

Scrambling to get ahold of himself, Harry looked at Sirius' blank face. Suddenly very calm, he formed a fist and began to push down on Sirius' chest. It had been something he had seen in muggle movies in his first world. CPR, it was called.

Over and over he compressed the chest wall, feeling it give before suddenly Sirius jerked a little on the bed, a breathy choke puffing from his lips.

Ethan skidded into the room just then, "Harry?!"

"We have to - keep his - heart - beating-"

A frantic Healer pushed past Ethan, glasses askew and looked relieved as he saw Harry's actions. "Move aside when you see a light at my wand!"

He began an incantation as Harry kept pumping Sirius' chest. It took only a few seconds before a white light formed at the tip of his wand.

"Harry!" Ethan warned and Harry quickly tumbled back as the lights latched onto Sirius and breath began to pass weakly through his nose.

"Manual life magic. It'll only last a hour or so, I have to go-" The Healer was out, running to the next room.

"You saved him-" Ethan said quietly, walking up beside Harry as the older boy stared in terror-gripped relief at their Godfather. "How did you know how to do that?"

Harry pulled his wand out and looked at the brother he now remembered growing up with. It hurt him to know how close he could have come to never having the boy in his life. "Muggle films from that other life."

A look of surprise struck Ethan's features as Harry chucked him on the shoulder, "I'll explain later - come on, we're not out of the dark yet."

* * *

**O**utside in the waiting room, a witch in a wheelchair was holding court as Neville flagged down passing witches and wizards. "All able bodied wizards! All visitors! Let the Healers deal with the patients – we need your help! That's right, please, toward my Mother, she will direct you –"

Mrs. Longbottom could be easily brushed off as only a pretty, demure woman if it wasn't for the intelligent strength in her eyes. Sitting in her wheelchair as if it was a throne in the middle of a war room, she addressed the throngs of wizards grimly, "They are attempting to enter through the main entrance but the staff has placed up the emergency wards on first sight. The contingency plan in the hospital has been that if one floor was invaded all others are to be sealed off. We are unaware of the damage downstairs but for now we will have to wait it out here. Let us form teams and barricade all major entrances. Everyone must have their wands at the ready!"

A weeping witch nearby looked overcome, "Alice, you're still such an auror."

"It is my greatest regret that these skills are even still needed." Mrs. Longbottom shook her head. "Ah, Harry!"

The crowd of witches and wizards turned with relieved faces toward Harry.

"Harry Potter is here!"

"It's going to be okay!"

"The boy-who-lived! Thank goodness!"

"Harry, what should we do?"

"Er." Harry felt both stunned and unsurprised at the attention, his two upbringings warring inside him. "We should listen to Mrs. Longbottom, of course. We must prepare immediately, no panicking – We're…we're all in this together."

"Yes, thank you, Harry." Alice said hurriedly, "Now, five of you toward the east-"

* * *

**U**ltimately, the battle did not involve them. Thanks to Lily's order spell, and the fact that all aurors had already been called to duty (Voldemort's double hit tactic had worked against him), the forces of good had been quick to arrive and the onslaught on the hospital had been stayed as the battle was fought outside it.

Inside, Harry had taken up at a south entrance while Ethan was with a group on the west. Lily had made rotations between their teams and Sirius to make sure a Healer was always on hand to renew his life support.

Almost five hours later a trumpet sound had blared to signal the end of the battle. The hospital was at peace. Twenty minutes later the magical center was back up and the aurors were streaming in to make sure everyone was okay.

Reconvening with Remus and Tonks in James' room, Harry was so exhausted he could have fallen asleep on the spot.

"It was pretty nasty. We lost at least ten good wizards today." Remus informed them solemnly. "Mad Eye was one of them."

"No! It can't be!" Lily gasped to mirror Harry's own shock. "How?"

"He went charging out after Bellatrix Lestrange. He saved Kingsley from a duel he would have surely lost."

"That bitch." Lily cursed to the shock of her sons. "She lived, didn't she?"

"Of course she did," Tonks spat, "Vermin never die, do they?"

"Yes-" Came a shaking, weak voice. "Peter didn't-"

All five heads turned in shock at a bleary eyed James.

"James!"

"Dad!"

"No, listen, **Peter**-"

"We know, James. Your son caught him the day he attacked you. Take it easy." Remus moved to his side while Lily stood stunned, a look of joy creping beneath her pale skin.

"Harry?" James managed a ghost of a smile. Ethan's face darkened at being automatically discluded from being the saviour and Harry winced.

"Well, both of us, really. Hi Dad." He leaned over his father and handed him his own spectacles from the side table. "I'm sorry I was such a monster that day."

There was affection on the man's face, "Ah, it'd figure I'd raise monsters. It was your mother's idea to hide it from the rest of the world by cutting your horns off and shaving off all that purple fur-"

"Shut up, James!" Lily scolded, laughing as Tonks sped out of the room calling for a Healer.

"This is just like you, you know! Asleep for the battle but waking up just at the end to hog all the glory! I captured two deatheaters today, damnit! Now no one's even going to remember that!" Remus grinned, elation across his features.

"Well, you all made so much noise, how could I keep sleeping?" James grinned back "No empathy for the comatose wizard!" As he joked, he reached up to gently touch Lily's face, his thumbs stroking away the tears that were falling from her emerald eyes. "And trust Peter to cock up a killing curse. Can you fill me in on that?"

"In a minute, Mr. Potter," A strict looking witch came striding in, blue robes billowing behind her, "We need to check you over first."

As Lily backed away and came to stand beside Harry, he turned smug eyes onto her, cheeks hurting from grinning so much. "I guess this means we _won't_ being going to school tomorrow afterall, huh Mum? Owww!" Harry yelped in laughter as his mother swiftly twisted his ear, "Okay, okay! I give!"

It was only then that Harry realised that he could breathe easier. No more looking over his shoulder, wondering for sure what had happened … this was his world now. Forever.

He looked at his pale Father trying in vain to ruffle his own hair before the Healer team came barging in, his brother and Uncle Remus; slinging arms around each other with broad grins and his mother; now attempting another twist of his ear.

Forever.

Suddenly, everything seemed possible.

* * *

**W**hile the Healers gave James a complete check up and decided that the scores of magic that had hit the building earlier were responsible for rebooting his own magic, the family drew straws to decide who got the honor to tell James about Sirius. Ethan had fortunately purchased one of the Weasley Twins' 'Match Stix', an invention that consisted of tiny little matches. Once drawn, only one would light with a beautiful yellow flame, choosing that person to do whatever task was being debated. Ironically, it was Ethan himself who had gotten to do the envious task (a fact that made Harry consider that the invention was likely rigged) and James had let out a groan so loud that the healer team had run back in.

As everyone burst into conversation, James had demanded to see Sirius immediately. Remus had tried to talk sense into the other man, but moments later James was wheeling himself to Sirius' room.

It was a touching, but hard reunion to watch as James had broken down at Sirius' side. He held his friend's hand in a mix of utter relief and misery. Understanding this feeling when it came to Sirius' state, Harry had averted his eyes, looking toward his own brother. In this world, he understood now how James loved Sirius, how it felt to have a brother, how he would never let anything happen to the other boy.

The boys were allowed to spend a day with James, missing their first day of classes. It was confirmed that Pettigrew had escaped with the rest of the Azkaban prisoners, but hadn't shown his face at the battle of St. Mungo's. Snape had arrived the next day, drawn looking and desperate to see James with his own eyes. The two brothers travelled back to Hogwarts with him in the evening, arriving at the castle at night, long after everyone had fallen asleep.

Dragging their trunks into the common room, Harry reached out to his brother. The elation of the last day had brought the family closer, but the younger boy still had given Harry a wide berth. It was time to explain everything.

"Ethan," Harry stopped the younger boy from ascending the staircase to the dorms, "I just want you to know that having a brother has been my favourite part of either timeline."

"Don't be a turd, Harry."

"I'm not!" He laughed, "Really. I can't stand you being ticked off at me."

Ethan turned, exasperated. "I'm not ticked off, Harry. Merlin, I can't explain it."

"I understand, Ethan. I would have felt the same if the roles had been reversed – if you didn't really know me. I didn't understand fully…I didn't understand family completely, I didn't remember … but I remember now. The reason I had to save you that Christmas was because you insisted on trying the 'Sakamari Swap' after I told you not to, you little git."

Ethan's feline stare widened. "Harry-"

"I was asked to choose, you know, when everything was at it's worst and I did. It was your telling off that helped me really - made me think – made me realise I'd been selfish - you really went off on me, you know."

"I know you have a lot on your shoulders. I don't deny that and I think you have the right to be a little selfish sometimes, but," Relief was evident on his brother's face as Ethan took a step toward him, "after Sirius died, you were … you shut me out, Harry. I thought the difference in you this year was because of that. I was hurt enough from that and then … to think you didn't even know who I was? You, the one _everyone_ knows – it was bearable when I knew that despite everything, I was important to you at least."

"I'll be honest, the memories are still really muddled from this world, but …" Harry sighed, "I meant what I said that night, I think I can be a better brother this way. You have to understand, I … I was used to being in the shadows. I had to rely on myself because until I was eleven everyone treated me badly. I … I was just a forgotten boy in the cupboard beneath the stairs. I'd like you to try and explain to me what you meant by that? Important to only me?"

And so, Ethan sighed and told Harry what growing up in the shadow of a famous brother had been like. In return, Harry explained the situation, the wish, his choice and finally what it felt like to grow up in the shadow of your own fame.

At the end of it all, they were brothers once more.

Harry slept well that night, a war was coming and he had never felt so ill prepared, but with his mother, father and brother all supporting him and a strong sense of security in this world, he began to feel a stirring in his chest. A war was coming, yes, but he was ready to fight.

* * *

**To be Continued…**

Are you **happy with his choice**?! I warn you though, we haven't yet **seen the last** of the three sisters…

Please **take the few seconds** to leave a **hello/review** and provide me with some **motivation**! I will always respond. There is a reference in the title to this chapter, can anyone guess?

Thanks for reading!


	25. Two Sides

**Welcome back!** This chapter is a bit of **milestone as it is our 25th Chapter** as well as the 5th new chapter since I started completing this story this year – **whee for regular updates**! They'll keep on coming!

Although part of this chapter was originally in Chapter 24, I decided to separate it into two different chapters for better flow. Not to worry, there have been **extra scenes** as well as extra tidbits added in already existing scenes.

The title of the last chapter is from a quote from one of my first fandoms, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Paraphrased it states that even though the big moments will always happen it's what one does afterward that really counts. Get ready to see what lies ahead!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 25**

**Two Sides**

* * *

**T**he next morning, Harry awoke, well rested. It wasn't until he reached the common room that he quickly learned that Ball Madness had taken a hold upon everyone. Dumbledore had announced the ball that Parvati had speculated on so many months ago, and the Great Hall was filled with balloons, flowers and gooey-eyed students all vying for dates.

His friends (an oasis of normalcy) beckoned to him with congratulations over his Father's turn in health. The good mood wasn't to last long as soon conversation turned to the upcoming Easter Ball.

"So, are you planning on taking anyone, Harry?" Ron asked, pulling clumps of croissant apart before stuffing them into his face.

"Honestly, it's the farthest thing from my mind right now." He rubbed his forehead, wrinkling his nose as he noticed a spot on his glasses, obscuring part of Ron's face.

"I hear you! Why don't the three of us just all go together? You know, do a 'friends only' kind of thing." Ron offered up, smiling.

"Oh," Hermione pinkened, "I can't, actually."

"How come?" Ron's smile had frozen on his face, looking very painful indeed.

"Well, Cormac McLaggen in 6th year asked me yesterday so I said yes-" Hermione trailed off, looking around for something that was most likely her wand in order to defend herself from Ron's certain explosion.

It came right on cue. "WHAT!?" Ron bellowed, his face turning beet red. "What are you talking about? Why didn't you tell us? Merlin, _that _blighter? He looks like a bloody skrewt! What kind of blokes are you into, Hermione?"

"He does not, Ron!" Hermione colored more, now a nice shade of tomato, "He's actually quite a nice boy and he took the time to ask me, unlike someone else, so just get over yourself." Picking her bag up she threw it over her shoulder with ease before storming away from the table.

Wordless, Ron gaped after her. "Is she on drugs, Harry? What the heck is all that about-"

"Ron," Harry sighed, "You really need to get it together."

* * *

**H**istory of Magic was the first class back for Harry and it held a nasty surprise. Half the students were already asleep by the time Professor Binns handed back the last assignment. The scroll landed on Harry's desk and as Ron snored beside him, he opened it only to find himself horrified at what lay in front of him.

His marks.

With his memories of this timeline now firmly entrenched in his head, his personality seemed to be figuring itself out. While both sides of himself were, in fact, ridiculously similar, they differed in a few things. One being ambition. The Harry who had grown up with his parents had been trained and educated since his birth and as such had been a spectacular student, maybe not quite as studious as Hermione but not at all as careless as his original timeline.

Groaning as flipped through his essay, Harry felt a headache coming on. If he kept this up he'd be sure to get a D on his OWL's! How could he possibly have thought that he'd be able to get away with this with his parents around? Crumpling the parchment in his hand he wondered if he could use the whole Dad-was-in-a-coma thing as an excuse.

'Harry,' Harry thought to himself. 'You really need to get it together.'

* * *

**A** second difference between his two timelines had been his interest in witches. Original Harry had only ever noticed Cho and had been wholly unprepared when it came to dealing with women. The Harry that had grown up here felt much more at ease with girls, afterall, Papa Padfoot had been the best source of information and his father, the perfect role model.

Sitting at Lunch, he watched as the girl he had dated during fourth year, Aishwarya Lawton look absolutely enamoured as Anthony Goldstein turned all the food around her into roses when he strode forward from Ravenclaw to ask her to the Ball. A very mild sense of loss lingered in his stomach before Harry turned aside only to find Colin Creevey's face so close to him they almost bumped noses.

"Are you going to be taking anyone to the ball, Harry?"

"Er, no Colin."

"But Harry! It's the Easter Ball! It would be a travesty if you didn't take someone, afterall, every girl wants to go with a hero-"

"Potter!" Draco called loudly, having had made his way over to the table and pulling the fork from Harry's hands, "We're late-"

Gratefully, Harry got to his feet and grabbed his bag. As the two boys walked out of the Great Hall, Draco's smirk was prominent. "He wanted you to take _him_, most likely."

Harry rolled his eyes as they laughed.

* * *

**A**s Ball madness captured every student in a sort of manic frenzy, Harry found himself slowly plagued with a different type of insanity. It was hard to adjust to both pasts he had lived. There was the Harry who had been loved and coddled for his whole life and the Harry who had suffered and been ignored. Together the memories gave him a wiser outlook and yet their presence confused him.

The Ball, it seemed, might have been a way for Dumbledore to keep the students occupied on something mindless, as since the halfterm break the Daily Prophet was constantly reporting on deaths, disappearances and devastations. Three days after arriving back at school, Harry found himself in the library, actually _choosing_ to study for OWLs as a way to get his mind off it all. As memories of his life with his family became clearer, he worried that the reason he hadn't had them to begin with was because he would never have been able to leave this world if he had had.

Had the weird sisters perhaps meant for him to choose his other world? Had he doomed them all? It was all very heavy and he found the 3000 page Transfiguration textbook to be much lighter fare.

Ethan had joined him, preparing for a Charms test and the two brothers had done quite well until a fuming Draco Malfoy came stampeding through the Library. "You bloody bastard!" In a second he had grabbed Ethan by the collar, pulling him out of his chair and shoving him into a wall. "What the hell are you playing at?!"

"Draco!" Harry was on his feet, vaulting over the table to push the boys apart. "Are you mad?!"

"Ask your brother that!" Draco yelled, fuming as he stumbled back before whipping his wand out and gesturing toward Ethan, "He's taking Parvati to the ball!"

"Huh?" Harry gaped, glancing at his brother.

The younger Potter's face was stern as he brushed himself off, stretching out his own wand in dueling stance. "Yeah, so? As _friends_, Draco. You can chill the hell out. Put your wand away."

"Well what kind of _friend_ are you to me, huh, Potter? She's mine and-"

"She's not yours!" Ethan interrupted loudly, "Especially not after what you did!"

Draco reeled back as if he had been hit. "What?" His voice was a deadly hiss.

"She told me, Draco."

Draco then, none too politely, cursed a very wrong phrase at Ethan before turning on his heel and slamming through the library on his way out. Harry was fairly sure he pushed a first year Hufflepuff into a stack of books.

Turning to Ethan, the Gryffindor raised an eyebrow. "Little brother, I think you need to fill me in on things."

* * *

**A** few hours later, Harry tracked Draco down in Remus and Tonks' suite.

"He's in his room in a bit of a strop." Tonks had warned on her way out.

Fairly used to Draco being in a strop, Harry had continued to knock on his door until the blonde opened it.

"What?" He snapped.

"I want to talk."

Stepping back from the door and retreating into his room, Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that crap, Harry. I know your brother has told you everything by now."

"Yeah, he has."

"Here to hunt me down, then?"

"Not quite." Harry sat on the edge of Draco's bed as the blonde paced his room, "I wanted to talk to you about it."

"About what?" Draco's pale face twisted as he grabbed at his blonde hair, "I almost beat my girlfriend. I scared her half to death. I'm a bloody mess and I love her … but I know what's best for her is setting her free, yet I'm too freakin' selfish to even manage that. Shit." He paced back and forth in the room, repeating phrases that seemed to Harry as if Draco had been berating himself with them for the last few hours before Harry had arrived.

"You _almost _hit her."

Gray eyes were incredulous, "What?"

"You _almost_ hit her. You didn't."

"Yeah, but … you don't know … I grabbed her and twisted her hair and – Merlin – I made her beg me to stop. You _can't_ justify it! It was wrong! I was so wrong!"

"And the fact that you won't justify it, means that you really aren't that bad, Draco." Harry ran his tongue over his molars before continuing, pleased that he had made his point. "Look. Parvati deserves someone good, someone who will protect her. Even I've seen how unhappy she's been, how unhappy you've been. "

"You cannot be saying what I think you are, Harry. I – I - …I am bad for her, I am –"

"You _aren't_ your father, do you get that, Draco?"

His Slytherin friend looked stunned. "You don't know that-"

"Yeah, I do. You were a nasty little shit when we first met, but that wasn't you and despite everything you pulled yourself out of that. You can fight this anger - or whatever it was that caused you to lose it that day - if you just put your mind to it. I think you should talk to Remus."

"What? Are you kidding? He'd kill me if he knew what I'd done."

"Maybe, but he also gets what it's like to feel as if you don't have control over a monster inside of you. I think he could help."

Draco was silent.

"You did something awful, Draco. Is running away the way to handle it? No. You need to fix it, and you better start fixing yourself up fast because that is good damn witch you managed to get and if you don't start making it up to her and treating her right, then yes, I will come hunt you down."

"When did you get so smart, Potter?" He managed to drawl.

"Probably around the time I realised the world didn't revolve around me." He grinned back.

"You realised that? Right on, I wasn't planning on that happening till you were 194 and on your death bed."

"Idiot."

"Prat."

"Git."

"_Potter_."

* * *

**T**he next night, Harry was attempting to once more settle down to study some Transfiguration, when his plans were foiled by a call to visit his Great-Great-Grandfather. Honestly, it was almost as if something out there was _purposely _preventing him studying for OWLs! Ah well, he had been doodling mostly anyway.

Packing his books and following his brother (messenger boy as always) to Dumbledore's study, Harry burst into a grin seeing his father standing there. James was still very thin, but the color was back in his cheeks and he looked altogether robust for a man who had spent four months in a coma.

Turning to them he opened his arms and like little children the boys ran to their father, tackling him in hugs as he laughed.

"Dad!" Harry's face found the crook of his Father's neck, a familiar security, as James squeezed the boys.

"Now that's a welcome!"

"Are you coming back to teach?" Ethan raised hopefully as he broke away to kiss his Mother hello.

"No, not quite. Poppa wanted us all here to discuss something with him."

It was then that Harry realised the circular room held not only the entire Potter family but also Snape, McGonagall and Remus.

Harry immediately had a bad feeling.

Dumbledore inclined his head as a greeting toward the boys before folding his hands on his desk."I trust everyone in the room is managing their Occlumency just fine?"

Harry was sliding confused eyes toward his brother when the assault on his mind began.

A memory of finding Sirius was just surfacing before Harry was able to steel himself and push Dumbledore from his mind. He struggled for a moment before repelling him with efficiency.

As he regained his senses he noted that everyone in the room seemed equally as shaken aside from Snape who was stony-faced. Dumbledore was looking at Harry with an impressed gaze. He had yet to tell his great-great-grandfather of his choice and so was sure the elder man thought his ridiculous method of pensieve occlumency had actually worked.

"Excellent." Dumbledore steepled his fingers. "I apologize for the intrusion but with everything that has been going on, lessons and practice must surely have fallen to the wayside. I'm pleased to see abilities have not."

He took a breath before continuing, "Now, I'm certain that with the turning of the Dementors and the recent attack on St. Mungo's, it is very clear to us all that Voldemort's power has grown tremendously."

"Yes," Remus supplemented, "I'm afraid that talks with the werewolf packs have also gone on deaf ears, I think they'll be the next to turn if they haven't already."

Dumbledore nodded gravely, "It has been fourteen years of a slow build, but he is finally in a position strong enough to make the type of assault he had been close to doing before our Harry managed to defeat him the first time."

"The Ministry is implementing curfew once more." McGonagall said quietly, "The act is being passed as we speak. We are heading back into the dark days. The Auror reserve is being called upon, I got the notification today."

"Grandmama, you were an auror?" Ethan gaped as a bemused expression crossed the Gryffindor's head of house.

"You didn't know, Ethan? That's how I met my first husband Elphinstone. I worked in the Department of Law enforcement and in those days, during the worst days, everyone was called into action."

"Wow." Both Harry and Ethan chorused, looking at their step-great-great-grandmother with renewed respect.

"In the same regard, we will be calling in the Order reserve as well." Dumbledore continued, "The first meeting will be held the day after tomorrow. We will tier the information as we always have."

"Yes, yes, so what is this meeting about, then?" Snape asked.

Dumbledore wordlessly lifted his hand and a scroll floated into the air between them all. An image appeared against it, a impromptu version of a wiz!vee. Hundreds of loudly chattering witches and wizards were swarmed in front of the Ministry. A stern faced wizard addressed the audience. "-words appeared today, officials are working on a way to remove them but have yet been unsuccessful, the distress is palpable-"

As they watched they came to learn the story. Floating words made of small flames had appeared in front of the Ministry. It was an open letter from Voldemort and read:

_Wizards of London, a war is coming. Choose your side well._

_My deatheaters are everywhere, walking beside you, eating beside you, sleeping beside you._

_The Ministry will crumble at my feet._

_Those who stand against me will be killed._

_My army will stop at nothing._

_Admit defeat. Call for surrender._

_I can be life or death._

_I **am** Lord Voldemort._

The room burst into conversation as Dumbledore tried to speak over all the exclamations. "It is arrogant, but the fact that he has chosen to communicate to the community as a whole is not good. Strikes will be coming. Things have escalated quickly … I'm afraid we must begin what we have left for too long-"

"Surely, Albus, you don't mean…" Remus began.

"I do, certainly. We have postulated over it for a few years now and James and I have finally confirmed my deepest suspicions after speaking to Horace Slughorn this afternoon."

"No…" Lily's voice shook.

"Yes. It is time we find and destroy Voldemort's horcruxes."

The words seemed to ring empty in Harry's ears, and as his grandfather looked upon all of them, he bypassed Harry's own curious eyes.

**To be Continued….**

Do you think **Harry is a horcrux**? Is **Draco worthy of redemption**? Will **Sirius EVER wake up**?!

I'm sure you can all see the stirrings of what will be a very strong, powerful Harry arising? Do you think his dueling histories will strengthen him or weaken him ultimately?

As a **celebration of 25 chapters**, I will choose one reviewer of this chapter as a thank you and place their alias in a future chapter!

**Thanks for reading and please remember to review!**


	26. The Three Witches

**Welcome!** Please check my profile to see my TUMBLR (Usako3000) filled with tidbits, images and insider information on this story.

I think some of you will be **VERY happy** with the developments in the chapter ahead! As a thank you for your responses last chapter, one reviewer's username (superpottergod21) has been fit into the flow of the story. Please **remember to review,** I love to hear from you guys!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

**Chapter 25**

**The Three Witches**

* * *

"What's a horcrux?" **E**than asked unabashedly loud as the adults roared to life with exclamations of concern.

"Shh!" Lily reprimanded, frowning.

"It is alright, Lily. In this room, amongst family, there is no need for secrecy to remain," Dumbledore returned calmly, pushing his candy bowl toward the youngest Potter. "It is something that makes Voldemort a very dangerous foe. As long as one exists he cannot be killed."

"It's very dark magic," Snape warned from the corner of the room. As Harry looked at him properly, his countenance seemed shadowed, prominent purple bags beneath his eyes marring his usual pale face. "The very darkest, in fact."

Dumbledore folded his hands in front of his lips. "Very few people are even aware of the ability of such things to exist. It is almost forbidden to speak off. I have been in contact with Horace Slughorn-" Harry and Ethan glanced at eachother with shrugs as the adults all seemed to recognize the name, "And he unwittingly informed me of a conversation he had had with Tom Riddle many years ago. That, along with the events of the diary have given credence to what we hypothesized when the rebounded killing curse failed to kill him."

The explanation was fast; Voldemort had split his soul using important murders as offerings for such dark magic. The arduous journey in front of them lay in where these horcruxes were hidden, how many existed and puzzling out exactly what they were.

"-The positive is that after Harry's encounter with the diary, we have some idea on what it takes to destroy them. It seems apparent that it must be destroyed beyond any repair by magical means. We are limited. Fortunately-" Dumbledore reached to aside and after brandishing it, laid the sword of Gryffindor on his desk, "Harry has once again given us an out. Upon killing the basilisk in the chamber of secrets he imbued the sword with its venom. It is with this that we can continue."

"Well done, Harry!" Ethan cheered, nudging his brother.

"How can we possibly imagine what the rest may be?" Snape drawled, "We are on limited time here. Things are happening quickly. I believe we should look into other alternatives rather than a wild goose chase through the unknown - the Dark Lord is already moving fast."

James frowned, "Well then, we'll just have to move faster."

"Hermione and Ron can help!" Harry piped up, "And Draco and Parvati too. They know their stuff –"

"I'm not certain it would be wise to bring in others," Dumbledore's face was grim. "We decided years ago that our suspicions would be kept to ourselves and already we find ourselves with quite a large group of those in the know."

"With all due respect, Poppa," James defended, "Those kids are as loyal as Sirius, Remus and Severus."

Snape started at the mention of his name, blinking owlishly at the other man.

"I don't like it." The headmaster's ruling echoed in the room before he sighed, "But since when does Harry listen to what I have to say?"

The adults chuckled but Harry felt his cheeks grow hot. "Well, it is _me_ that he's after. I think I have the right to do things my way!" He exclaimed angrily as Ethan patted his shoulder.

"Yes." The Headmaster blinked at him as if seeing him for the first time, "Yes, you are right."

There was a moment of silence before he continued. "Now, everyone, please sit. We have a lot to discuss."

* * *

"You must be joking? That freakshow split his own _soul _up?" **R**on repeated loudly, earning him a slap on the arm from Hermione. It was fortunate that it was the weekend after halfterm, and as everyone was tired from getting back to classes after a few generous days of freedom, the Gryffindor tower commons was empty save from the crackling fireplace.

"Ron! Quiet! Harry just told us that it's an immense secret!"

"Sorry, Hermione. Sorry that I don't have your ability to keep silent – you know - keeping your romance hushed up for so long-"

"It's not a romance-"

"-and you'd know an awful lot about immense secrets, wouldn't you? Why-"

"Enough!" Harry snapped, frowning imperiously over his glasses in an eerily accurate imitation of his great-great-grandfather. His two friends immediately clammed up.

"Sorry, Harry," Ron apologized. "Where do we even begin?"

"Well, Poppa has ideas and we're to do some brainstorming. None of this is really confirmed though, he and Dad are off next week to have a look at a possible hiding place." Even as he said the words, Harry's stomach felt unsettled at the idea of his family on such a dangerous mission.

"Once they get back, I suppose we'll know better," Ethan added, "If they're successful at finding something, that is."

"I'll do some research!" Hermione stood quickly, "He was so obsessed with being the heir of Slytherin, maybe he might have wanted to deface things belonging to the other houses? Something representative?"

"Good idea!" Ron piped in, "I remember reading somewhere about this Ravenclaw Diadem thing-"

"Ron!" Hermione looked pleased, "You've read Hogwarts: A History?"

"Well, yeah," He grumbled, "You wouldn't shut up about it, what choice did I have?"

Hermione pinkened with delight while Harry shared an amused look with his brother. With friends like these, they had to be unstoppable.

* * *

**T**wo weeks passed quickly as Harry spent every moment studying for OWLs and trying to keep his mind off his Father's expedition. Late one Thursday night, exhausted from prefect rounds, Harry found himself being nudged awake by a Patronus in the shape of a doe. Too tired to change out of pajamas, he tied his thick red bathrobe around him before blearily gathering his brother from the downstairs dorm.

Together the two Potters traipsed their way to their parents' suite of rooms, the corridors of Hogwarts dark and deserted.

"I hope Dad is okay," Ethan said softly as they approached the branch of owls portrait that adorned the entrance to their parents' room.

"I'm sure he is," Harry was quick to assure, though his own stomach felt upturned with worry. "Peeves." He called the password but the owls simply blinked back at him. "Peeves! Did they change it? I was here just yesterday-"

Ethan looked perplexed before rapping sharply on the portrait, the biggest owl hooting angrily at him before it swung open.

Instead of their Mother or Father, stood Sirius Black, calmly biting into an apple. He was thin. No, gaunt. But his handsome face was lit with _life._

The apple gave a loud crunch beneath his white teeth and Sirius chewed silently, blinking at his godchildren.

"Papa Pa-" Ethan couldn't even finish his statement, "-Pad-"

"You-you-" Harry spluttered, suddenly rooted into the ground like a shy toddler.

"Me-me?" Sirius returned, raising an eyebrow.

Both brothers' faces split into broad, delirious grins. Harry was so happy he could have had a stroke from all the blood pulsing through his heart and brain.

On one accord, Harry and Ethan flew at their godfather in great happiness. Wrapping them each in one arm, he stumbled backward with a chuckle. The three of them ended up in a heap on the floor, laughing almost hysterically.

"Careful, don't put him back in the hospital!" James called loudly, "He's fragile!"

"Bugger off, Prongs!" Sirius laughed as the boys clambered onto him like excited puppies.

Glancing around the room, grin wide, Harry found all their family present. Remus was holding a wizarding camera, bright flashes capturing their reunion while Tonks and Arulbella watched with ecstatic smiles.

"I have to say, Sirius. Letting them find out like this was indeed a pleasure." Dumbledore nodded from his awkward position in the Potters' rocking chair. Back and forth he went with a subdued smile.

Pulling himself from the ground, Sirius dusted himself off. "I have him wrapped about my little finger now," Sirius told the boys with a wink, "You know, since I almost died and all. He is such a worrier."

"Hm." Dumbledore looked only tired in response.

"I don't know why of course-" Sirius continued, "Afterall, Pops, I told you'd I'd be back before the end of Harry's fifth year."

"Are you okay, Papa Padfoot?" Harry asked quietly. "I can't believe it."

"Sure am, Pronglet." He ruffled Harry's hair with affection, "Thanks to you, I hear. You saved my life, Harry." Sirius' gray eyes were warm with gratefulness and love.

Harry flushed, everyone's eyes on him. "I… I just…I'm glad you came back to us." His nose tickled curiously while his voice pitched high, and the Gryffindor quickly decided to avoid the tidal of emotion that would come with confronting what the near loss had been like. "When did you wake up?"

"About a week ago-"

"What? DAAAD-" Ethan and Harry both exclaimed, shooting daggers at their father.

James's brown eyes went comically wide, "Oi! Why are you shouting at me?"

The boys immediately began a tirade.

"Because, why didn't you tell us?!"

"You must have been first to know and you didn't even BOTHER to-"

"-Wait, don't blame anyone!" Sirius continued on, "My first words when I woke up was 'let me decide how to tell everyone'. You know I needed to make an entrance."

"You're a real git."

"Hey!" Sirius pretended to cuff Harry about the ear, "Don't talk to your godfather like that."

"I destroy a Horcrux today and that blighter is getting all the attention while I get shouted at. How is that fair?" James sighed good-naturedly, reclining on the sofa, head in Lily's lap.

"Serves you right for leaving me out of the fun!" Sirius returned loudly.

"Sorry, did you say something? You're so fragile I can barely hear you-"

Neither Ethan nor Harry wanted to let go of Sirius, who likewise, let his arms hang on their shoulders as the family loudly managed to finally settle down to hear about other matters.

Dumbledore and James had travelled to the place of Tom Riddle's orphanage and after sometime and many hurdles, had unearthed a ring of Gaunt heritage, gleaming of evil.

"Fortunately, I was correct about Gryffindor's sword. We were able to destroy it." Dumbledore held out a heavy set ring with a significant crack through the center of its black jewel. "Unfortunately, of course, it means that the horcruxes do indeed exist. We have certainly been set an arduous task."

"Hermione had an idea that they could be heir's artifacts." Ethan offered, "But that isn't one, right?"

"No," Dumbledore shook his head, "Although Ms. Granger's enlightened mind may have yet provided us one path with which to follow. This ring belonged to Tom's family and held special significance to him. It is likely that is why he used it. Along the same note, I have a suspicion of another possible hiding place. Harry, the night of the ball, I would like us to go."

"What?!" Both Lily and Sirius recoiled.

"Professor!" Harry's mother exclaimed, "It's much too dangerous, no way-"

"Lily." James pulled himself up, sharing a glance toward his ancestor. "He must go."

"James, this must be a joke because if you think there is any –"

His father suddenly looked enraged as he turned on his wife. "No, Lily, it's not. We _know_ the full prophecy; Harry needs to be involved in this, okay? We_ need_ this to make sense – for him to live."

"What?" Harry sat, stupefied. A memory unearthed of reading the same phrase on his birthday just a few months ago.

"What prophecy?" Ethan asked, standing and staring at their parents. When the adults shared looks, his hands curled into fists, face and neck turning red. "WHAT PROPHECY?"

And once they were told, the adults looking very worried indeed, Harry's only thought was:

_Well, I suppose it's fitting._

* * *

**H**arry hadn't been sure how to tell his friends about his potential doom, and so had asked Ethan to keep quiet. His little brother had been most distraught, and Harry had found it hard to watch him suffer like that. He had, of course, promised the younger boy that he'd be the one to survive but truthfully the idea of actually killing anyone – Voldemort or not – repulsed him. He feared the knowledge of being tasked with ending a life. Then again … he _had_ really wanted to kill Pettigrew in that moment – maybe he could find it in himself again. In fact…. even as he thought about it, a tiny part of him, deep inside began to stir, calling for death and revenge.

It was all so frightening, so difficult. While the wizarding world may have thought of him as some sort of Super Potter God, in reality, the weight on his shoulders had Harry struggling. At least, until the part of him from this timeline reminded him of something: his family.

And that was how he found himself tearful in his parents' suite a few nights later. He had been up the whole night studying for Transfiguration, a week of prefect night duty behind him, and with everything happening had been worn to the bone. Harry had gone to his parents' suite and in a hysterical fit had babbled on about OWLs before finally admitting his fears and terror over having to kill Voldemort and what that might make him.

Standing there, brokenly, he hadn't been sure what response he wanted from his parents before Lily took him into her arms, rocking him as he clung to her like a child. "Shhh, Harry. It's alright. Don't cry, darling. You don't have to do it alone."

"I don't know how to kill someone!" Harry lamented through a quaking voice, "How can I do that?"

James sat beside them on the sofa, a soothing hand on his son's head. "My strong little son," He muttered to himself, "I should have been more careful with what I said that night. You never show it, do you? Always doing so well; you've always done so well – a real hero. We're the Potters, Harry. We will face Voldemort all together. You are not alone. I won't let anything hurt you, do you hear me?"

"None of us would, Harry. You are so loved! You won't have to kill him, I promise you. We will take care of it for you." Lily kissed his forehead while his hysteria passed into nothing more than a dull ache.

"-But the prophecy-"

"Is bollocks!" James exclaimed, "They're not exact sciences! Horcruxes are part of Voldemort's soul, right? By actively destroying them you are becoming responsible for his eventual death. You see, Pronglet? We have it figured out."

"Dumbledore has it all figured out." Lily smiled into Harry's hair, squeezing him tightly. "He is the greatest wizard to have ever lived and he loves you so dearly. From the moment he suspected the presence of horcruxes he began to create this plan to keep you safe. We – you- have a great many allies."

Harry wasn't fully convinced but figured Dumbledore was much too pragmatic to cling to a loophole that had no base in reality.

James met Lily's gaze over Harry's head and unspoken words passed between them. "That said, perhaps it might be best if we start your training again."

From his position snuggled into his mother, Harry distantly nodded. In this timeline his magic had been heavily fostered since age eleven. He had learned Occlumency, Defense and had been knee-deep in becoming an Animagus when Sirius had been proclaimed dead and all had fallen apart. A refresher would be nice.

"You know," James added, "So that if you _do_ meet that madman you'll be able to magic circles around him until he turns his wand on himself."

Despite himself, Harry gave a watery laugh.

* * *

**T**he next day after Potions (Ron had got detention after using cauldron ladles as drumsticks), Harry told his friends he would see them at dinner and made the familiar trek to his Great-Great-Grandfather's office. Greeting the stone gargoyle as an old friend, he found Dumbledore looking into his pensieve.

Harry waited patiently for the Headmaster to finish his viewing, taking the time to play with Fawkes. He was laughingly spelling little purple rings in the air for the Phoenix to fly through when Dumbledore greeted him with a smile.

"Harry, were you waiting long?"

Wand dropping to his side, he shook his head somewhat mutely. After his embarrassing show of emotion the night before, James had requested Harry visit Dumbledore and gain some guidance. Shy now, knowing the Headmaster must have been told about his blubbering, Harry took a seat. Fawkes landed on his shoulder, pecking him affectionately.

"Owl got your tongue?" Dumbledore twinkled at him.

Sighing, Harry explained his worry about the prophecy. Dumbledore, like James, took everything with a stoic grace. "Your father is correct, Harry. Prophecies are … they are _guidelines_ to the future, not rules. Voldemort once heard only part of the prophecy, a prophecy that may have pertained to either you or your friend, Neville."

Neville?

"And he chose to target you; a halfblood like himself. He made what he willed from the prophecy and so shall we."

"So, by helping to destroy the horcruxes we're making it so that that's the way he dies by my hand? Mum said you had all these plans and I was just wondering-"

There was an odd emotion in the headmaster's eyes and Harry could not place it. "Harry, please don't worry yourself so much. You will aid in destroying horcruxes and we shall leave it at that."

Harry still felt the heat of stress but acquiesced. "Another thing, Poppa. I… wanted to tell you that these…these girls came to me."

The headmaster raised an eyebrow, amused.

"-No, not like that! When…when Sirius was taken from life support and I thought he was dead … these girls came and they offered me a chance to take my wish back."

Dumbledore's eyes popped, a keen look on his face, "They did? What did they look like? What did they say?"

"That…in a moment of great darkness I made a wish and … because it was such a big wish, it had been…" What had been that word they'd used? "Unprecedented. They said it was only fair that they wait until a moment of equal darkness to confirm it with me."

"So an heir's wish can be taken back?" Dumbledore pressed and Harry was confused as to why his voice was so loud.

"Er…no? I think just mine? I… I was torn, honestly. I wanted to do the best for the world, not just me. They said that one timeline is darker than the other; that outcomes will be different and once I chose I got all my memories back. …Who were they?"

Dumbledore tilted his clustered wand up just a tad, bringing a thick book flying into Harry's lap. The tome opened and a cloud of dust elicited a sneeze from the boy. On the browned page in front of him was a crudely ominous sketch of three women.

"It is said when God created the world he gave the strength of the heavens to three humans in the hopes that they could manage his violent, sinful creations. _They _were the first witches. Their bloodlines eventually gave rise to all wizardkind, though they themselves left Earth to ascend somewhere in between. Muggles call them 'The Fates'. We call them 'The Three Witches'. It was they who blessed the founders with the power of wishes."

Harry stared at the image which seemed to shift and ripple across the page. "So they are good?"

"I do not believe they are anything. They have their own agenda, their own paths to form, they simply _are_."

"They told me that the battle would come to us much sooner than it would've had the other timeline stayed intact."

"Did they say when?"

"No." Harry felt that familiar pressure build in his heart.

"I see."

Closing the book and placing it on the desk, Harry stood to go. "Well, thanks Poppa –"

"Actually, if you would stay a moment," Dumbledore said suddenly, leaning forward in his chair, "I had hoped to ask your help in something."

Curious, Harry obeyed his ancestor's gesture to reseat.

"I wanted to take a look at some of your memories of the other timeline. Specifically, conversations you may have had with important people. It may very well help us in our task ahead. I am remarkably curious to know what my other self may have been able to deduce about the horcruxes."

"I don't think he knew anything," Harry shrugged, "He never mentioned anything like that to me."

"I see. The issue, my dear boy is that I had a habit of keeping things close to my chest. You may not have thought I had an idea, but I do know myself very well. Perhaps seeing those interactions will allow me to piece some things together."

The boy's eyes fell on the majestic pensieve nearby. "I suppose I could-"

"No, not the pensieve. That would require you making the conscious effort to pull up those memories. If you would allow me to perform Legilimancy on you without occluding me, I could find the memories myself."

Hesitant, Harry frowned as he remembered the feeling of pain and violation that occurred while having one's mind searched. He met his great-great-Grandfather's blue eyes and found that he could not say no. Afterall, it was for the greater good. "Alright," He said reluctantly.

"Thank you, Harry. Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

But he wasn't.

Suddenly, his surroundings had vanished and Harry's mind began to burn as it rushed through time. Event and event flashed in front of him, searing at his head.

He was 5 and Sirius had just gotten him his first broom … He was 14 and having his first kiss with his pretty classmate in a broom closet… He was 12 and in the Chamber of Secrets…in what timeline was that? The first? This one? … He was 13 and Sirius was being attacked by dementors … He was 14 and seeing Dumbledore interrogate Barty Crouch… 11 and waking up to see Dumbledore's smiling face…He was asking Dumbledore to stay at Hogwarts … He was a baby, in Dumbledore's arms, head aching and half asleep… '_Good luck, Harry_.'…

Memory after memory assaulted him as Dumbledore ripped through his mind, pulling moments from the other timeline out from in between all the others. The pain and nausea was blinding. He tried to keep his mind open, but he had been trained in Occlumency as a child. The onslaught on his mind was just so….so…..terrible … he could barely ….it was so horribly painful …. **ENOUGH!**

His mind slammed violently against Dumbledore and he felt the other wizard's barriers give. Pushing forward he blinked as other memories, not his own, flashed before his eyes. His momentum was too much! Barely able to control his own magic, Harry blasted through Dumbledore's own mental blocks.

One memory kept repeating on loop.

There was a young Dumbledore, a golden haired boy and a girl…lots of shouting…and then …a flash of green light and the girl's body was falling back onto the floor, her eyes wide in stunned finish.

He was repelled so forcefully that Harry's body moved in tandem, hitting the back of his chair. The momentum caused him to topple onto the cold floor. Coming too and blinking in pained shock at his surroundings, Harry looked up at Dumbledore.

The Headmaster was standing behind his desk, his entire body trembling. His creased face was tight with livid anger. Blue eyes were so cold they looked almost white as frost. "Get out!" His voice sounded mutilated, pale thin lips twisted into a snarl.

"I didn't mea-"

"**GET OUT**!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Every object in the Headmaster's room was trembling with his anger, a loud clattering harmony ringing in Harry's ears as Fawkes screeched from his perch, his beautiful wings beating against hostile air. The rage on Dumbledore's face had Harry scrambling to his feet and through the arched doorway he fled.

** To be Continued….**

Has Dumbledore gone **off the deep end**? Do you think Harry is a **horcrux** and if so, does Dumbledore know? Do the Potters? Are you excited about Harry's upcoming training? DID SIRIUS' RETURN MAKE YOU SQUEE? Finally! Amirite? With **Sirius and James both back in action,** a lot of** excitement lies ahead.**

Since we will be hitting a **big milestone** with this chapter (**1500 reviews**) and the story has officially hit **100,000 words** - it's a **CELEBRATION BONANZA for whoever reviews this chapter**:

1) I'll pick **one username from whoever reviews** to work into the next chapter!

2) Also, there is a **MINOR character death** I am debating over so I thought I would ask you**. If you could reprieve one of the following **(keep them **alive** above the others) who would it be? _Fred Weasley vs Molly Weasley vs Dobby_. If there is a significant enough **majority vote**, I will promise the winner safe.

Thanks so much for reading! Please remember to take the time leave a **review**!


	27. Three Duels and a Boggart

Hello! It's a week overdue from when I had hoped to have this chapter out, but I just moved houses so things have been a complete circus! Gah, to make up for it, the chapter is a long one!

Thank you so much for the response last chapter! As a thank you for 1500 reviews, one reviewer's name (Coolerthanthouart) has been worked into the flow of this chapter.

Having the chance to incorporate Dumbledore's canon history and twist it to fit my story was one of the influencing factors that brought me back to this story months ago [if you will all recall HP and WOL began in 2002 and went into hiatus (Chapter 17) after OoTP]. We are about to have so much fun with it mwahaha.

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life **

** Chapter 26**

** Three Duels and a Boggart**

* * *

**H**arry ran through the hallways of Hogwarts in a blur. He passed by paintings that blinked curiously at him, students who turned to glance and Peeves who he intrigued enough to allow him passage through the corridor without becoming the victim of a spitball.

He finally reached the portrait hole to his parents' suite and without an eye toward the preening owls, gasped out the password. Inside, his mother was cutting Ethan's hair and the two stared agape at him as he burst into the room, the scissors in Lily's hands locked in the open position. Harry imagined that he must look quite the sight, breathless and red-faced.

"Harry?" Nearby, James stood. "What's happened?"

Breaths coming in big gulps, Harry blinked oddly for a moment before swallowing the lump in his throat, "I….I went to…Dumbledore." The affectionate name for his ancestor was not forthcoming, "and…and …he wanted to use Legilimency on me so I said okay but then … it was just…. so awful and _painful_ and disorienting - I tried to push him out but-" Lily walked over to her son and gently guided him onto the sofa as he talked. "I pushed into his mind! And he had this memory…this girl …and it was him when he was young and…she died…someone cast a killing curse!"

Ethan's jaw dropped, "What?"

"He got so mad! He told me to get out and … he looked like he could _kill_ me, Dad – he – he –"

"He would never hurt you, Harry," Lily said softly, hugging him to her. "Shh, it's alright. He must've just been taken off guard."

"What did the girl look like?" Harry's father still stood, arms crossed over his broad chest. He looked oddly comical against the backdrop of the bowls of fruit and witchhat salt and pepper shakers that rested on the kitchenette.

Harry shrugged, "Blonde? … Sort of… gentle looking … confused looking?"

"Ariana," James nodded, drumming his fingers on the counter as he glanced at his wife, "his sister."

"Well what happened to her?" Ethan asked curiously, taking a seat beside Harry, his haircut dramatically uneven.

"There were….rumors." Harry could sense his Father's reluctance to speak. James's lips twisted as he communicated silently with Lily for a moment. Then, having received some answer in her emerald eyes, he continued: "Poppa was the eldest of three. He was extremely bright and all was well in the family until one day his sister was tortured by muggles. His father went berserk and killed them – sent to Azkaban for life – and Poppa had to take care of her. She was killed by Grindelwald when they were all still quite young."

"Grindelwald?" Harry and Ethan both gaped. Harry's whole life had so much revolved around the current Dark Lord, that there existed a great deal of curiosity of what the previous one had been like.

"Yes, they were once great friends, better than you and Ron, Harry. Almost as close as you and Colin, Ethan."

Ethan rolled his eyes. Harry wasn't the only Potter in the family that Colin pestered and James loved to poke fun at his sons about their biggest fan. It was that spike of humor that helped to calm Harry's racing hearbeat.

James winked at his children, "It was after the event with Ariana that he went on the run, cloaked away somewhere to learn the darkest of magics. Although…there had been rumors … even I'd heard them."

It was easy to figure out and leaning back to rest his head against the couch, Harry blinked up at the ceiling, "Did Poppa kill her?"

"No," James was quick to respond, "Listen, we all know how cutting the rumormill is when it comes to wizards of great power - or do you forget how you were the heir of Slytherin for a year, Pronglet?"

"He was so angry though!" Harry felt his stomach turn at the memory, "I didn't mean to see that memory…I … he hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you, darling." Lily shook her head, tying her long red hair into a braid that hung loosely over her shoulder. "It must be a very hard memory for him to relive and he was taken off guard. Besides, once he has calmed down then he will surely know he was at fault. Afterall, Legilimency? On a child? What was he thinking? Why was it that he even wanted to read your memories?"

At his mother's questions, Harry inwardly cursed his decision to tell them the events of the afternoon. How could he explain without telling them about the other world? Shit.

Harry felt his cheeks redden as he stumbled on his words, "Er…to see if I had seen anything that might help about the horcruxes?"

Lily looked unconvinced as a small stress line formed between her eyebrows. "If you knew anything you would have told him! What could he possibly –"

As his Mother grew more irate at Dumbledore, Harry grew more nervous. "I don't know?" Harry said loudly, "Maybe my encounters with Voldemort?"

"-But what exactly did he say to you?"

"Lil," James interrupted, "I told you that Poppa's being acting oddly. This seems like another event – it doesn't make sense."

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.

Their parents shared a look.

"Okay, guys. It's really unfair if you expect us to tell you everything and you two keep things from us." Ethan remarked haughtily, crossing his arms and fixing their parents with a glare.

James's face relaxed in a lopsided grin, "Oi, look you at you, cheeky! May I remind you that us 'guys' are your parents and if you don't want a pair of boxed ears then you should watch your tone!" The threat was in vain as Ethan only stuck his tongue out at their father, a gesture James returned with a laugh. "Alright, but this is family information - I do NOT want any of your friends knowing, understand?"

"Yes sir." Harry nodded. The events had him feeling so uncomfortable that he had already made up his mind that no one else needed to know. Who knew how Dumbledore would feel if others knew what Harry had seen?

"When we went to find the horcrux, Poppa went kind of … well, he saw it and got this odd look on his face… and then tried to put it on his hand! A bloody cursed horcrux and he tried to wear it! Mad old man." James shook his head, "If I hadn't stopped him who knows what might've happened! It was strange…when I asked him about it he mumbled some strange nonsense about checking it over and trying it on to learn more about it – he's been off ever since."

"Maybe stress?" Lily offered.

"Maybe. Listen, I will speak to him tomorrow –"

"-No! Don't tell him I told you what I saw, Dad!"

"-I won't, Harry, calm down – but I will say that you said you saw some muddled memories and that you were confused as to why he got so angry. Is that alright?"

Harry nodded.

"This will blow over, just give him a few days to calm down. It must've been a hard memory to relive; the murder of his sister."

Harry nodded again but his heart felt unsettled. After his childhood, born in green, he had become quite adept at seeing the color. From his first person perspective in Dumbledore's memory…it had seemed as if … the direction …

It hadn't been just teenage hysteria that had made Harry think Dumbledore capable of killing him.

* * *

**T**he whole event had thoroughly turned Harry's stomach and unlike most things, he chose not to tell his friends about Dumbledore. As students began to gear up for OWLs, Harry's family likewise began planning his own curriculum of magical defense and offense. The headmaster was noticeably absent from these after school meetings and Harry found himself a little lost. Afterall, one consistency between worlds had been the old man's guidance.

Yet, listening to his Father and Godfather debate lesson plans for him, Harry thought perhaps it might be for the best that Dumbledore wasn't involved. There definitely was something to that old saying: Too many brewers around the cauldron.

"I don't see why not, James. He already has the basics down, we can just pick up from where we left off!" Sirius glowered at his best friend over a cup of cocoa in the Potter's suite.

"Padfoot, let it go! He still had a long way to go and the training is just too intensive right now. Harry has his OWLs to study for."

"-Oh come on!"

James frowned and spoke over Sirius' protests, "And exactly what are the benefits of him becoming an animagus right now? List them and we can talk."

Sirius lost his steam and looked at Harry in apology, "Sorry Pronglet, I tried."

Over beside his mother, having his own hair trimmed, Harry scowled. "The benefits are that I'd like to!" His dream of becoming a jaguar and terrifying his friends was quickly flying out the window.

"Hm." His father rolled his eyes, "Well, kid, you take after me in more ways than one – if there was a chance you could be a small little creature, easy to hide, then maybe it would be worth a try – but likely you'll be a big animal of some sort. It won't provide you any benefit against Voldemort."

Wincing as the cold metal of the scissors brushed his ear, Harry pouted at his father.

"Sorry lad, you're too old to pull that face with me." James laughed while Lily leaned over to see the face in question, cupping Harry's face to kiss the scowl away.

"I guess your Dad's head didn't get _that_ muddled in that coma," Sirius relented, grinning rakishly, "Alright, James, I'm your side. What torture shall we subject your son to first?"

They turned toward Harry with conspiratorial grins and Harry had the very distinct knowledge of what it must be like to be one of the Weasley twins' targets.

* * *

**A** week later, and Harry had learned more in seven days than he had in five years of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He watched every night as Sirius and James engaged in practiced duels with one another, teaching Harry and his brother techniques and tricks. Although Sirius was still quite weak, the two men had spent many years dueling one another and so no physical exertion was necessary.

Harry on the other hand was very close to exhaustion. Between frantic studying for OWLs and his training, he hadn't much time for rest but yet he didn't mind as he found it unbearably exciting to try his hand at new spells and techniques.

Facing down against James who theatrically played the role of a death eater, Sirius sat behind Harry, barking orders.

"The most important thing in a duel is to always keep your eye on your opponent's wand – you can see the spell forming before it takes flight! That split second can help you make important decisions-" Sirius lectured as James partially released the spells in demonstration of how the tip of his wand glew appropriately. "Death Eaters rarely bellow their spells - at least not the minor ones – they are all trained to cast wordlessly."

"Blue is always defensive or water based spells." James called from across the room, "You should hedge your bets on defensive and not bother with a strike; it will just bounce back. Take the time to cast a spell at something around your opponent, quake the floor so they lose focus and attack quickly."

"Or wrap yourself with a good defensive spell if you're tiring."

Nodding, Harry gripped his wand tight.

"Ready?"

"Ready-" Harry felt his throat go dry.

"Go!" Sirius called and Harry began a fairly watered down duel with his Father. James threw a blinding hex, Harry blocked. James began to cast, Harry blocked and instead James cast as well. Confused, Harry started, only to be hit by a jelly-legs jinx. Falling to the ground he threw out a darkness spell to give him cover under which to fight off the hex.

A _Lumos_ from James' wand lit the room and the elder Potter purposefully began slowly casting a defensive spell so that the blue was well visible. Taking the lesson, Harry blasted a _Quakos_ spell at the ground. The tremors of the Earth below him sent James onto the ground.

"Take my place, Second!" He shouted to Ethan who jumped up eagerly.

On his feet still, Harry grinned at his brother, "Oh, this is so not fair! It's not an equal duel when I know what Ethan's most scared off-"

"_Stupefy_!"

Harry ducked and threw a stinging hex at his brother. "I'm so glad you taught me that Inferi-calling curse, Dad!"

"Shut up, Harry!" Ethan growled, slamming Harry with a yellow spell that made him see stars.

"Ah yes, the ol' Inferius curse," Sirius commented, now watching the duel with his feet up on a chair. "Calls hoards of Inferi to devour one's opponent with great relish. In fact, if you're going to use that spell Harry, I should get them a little relish to go with Ethan-"

"Ugh, stop it Papa Padfoot!" Ethan complained over his shoulder as the two brothers continued to duel, "There's no such thing ….. Is there? _Dad_!?"

Harry grinned, "Don't worry Ethan, I'm saving it until I really feel it necessary-"

"Harry, stop annoying your brother."

"I'm supposed to! It's a duel, isn't it?"

"Ah, I suppose you're right. Ethan, annoy your brother more."

"Yeah. Say, Dad … did Harry tell you what his latest marks in History of Magic were?"

"_Ethan_!"

The boys were in the middle of their duel when the doors to the classroom opened and Remus entered in with a curious Draco.

"Hallo then, we just finished up in the Infirmary and I thought I'd bring Draco around to join in on some of the fun-"

The distraction was enough to allow Ethan take Harry off guard. The stupefy spell hit him hard in the chest as he glanced at the newcomers and he felt back onto the ground with a thud as Ethan leapt up with a cheer, "Yes! I beat Harry!"

Ego a little bruised, Harry allowed Sirius to help him out of the bind. "I was going easy on you!" He returned as Ethan blew a raspberry at him and James congratulated his youngest son with a pat on the back and an offer of chocolate biscuits.

"Whatever, I'm just cooler than thou art!" Ethan mocked.

"You are such a dork." Harry sighed, fighting a pout.

"In a real battle you don't get to stop and enjoy a victory, Ethan. Harry could have very easily broken out of the spell and cursed you back. You should always make sure you have thoroughly disarmed and immobilized your opponent." Sirius lectured as he pulled Harry to his feet, taking the time to ruffle the boy's hair. He turned toward Draco, "Hello there, this is my nephew Draco, is it?"

The blonde looked shy in the face of his mother's cousin. "Hello."

Sirius had a kindly smile on his face as he patted the boy on the shoulder, "Not only my nephew but also one of my saviors. Thank you very much my boy." He braced the embarrassed Slytherin with a firm squeeze on either arm.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked as he rubbed at his face with a towel. Draco had been taking therapy sessions in the infirmary with a specialist that Aunt Arulbella had recommended.

As usual, he didn't share much, "Fine. Going to just do weekly from now on."

"Well, I'm off," Ethan announced loudly from the doorway, having already gathered his knapsack. His brother gave a quick wave goodbye as Draco didn't even blink, keeping only a steadfast expression at Harry. It was obvious that the two had yet to mend the bridge between them and Harry knew that Ethan had sacrificed his time in dueling lessons to allow Draco the chance to join without being distracted.

"That's good."

Remus nodded, "We thought that perhaps it might be helpful for Draco to join in on some dueling tonight. Blasting magic was always a wonderful way to manage anger."

"Of course!" James agreed, "I'd love to have another pupil. Go on, then. Harry's rested up enough."

"Oi!" Harry protested, a little apprehensive at dueling Draco. The last time had been when there had been no love lost between them. "I'm not rested enough for another duel just yet!"

"Death Eaters don't wait for you to have your afternoon nap, Pronglet. Off you go."

"Scared, Potter?" Draco grinned wildly at him and Harry rolled his eyes.

"You wish."

Draco was a good opponent and seemed to already have most of the training that Harry had been learning the last few weeks. He kept his eyes on Harry's wand, judging the colors and spells about to come. The three marauders spent the next hour coaching the two boys and very soon Harry was exhausted.

The last duel was dragging out and Harry found himself daydreaming of sleep. Draco sent a stinging hex that caught him on the side and the boy grimaced, shifting to the side.

"Now, keep your eyes on your surroundings! Try and use something nearby in the duel, it will give you the element of surprise-" Sirius was barely finishing his statement when a nearby chair came flying into Harry's back, throwing his feet out from underneath him and pushing him half the distance toward Draco.

"Hey!"

Draco laughed and soon Harry found himself throwing up shields to stop each book from a nearby bookshelf raining down at him. "Oi, stop it!"

"He said to use things nearby!" Draco called back, beating hard against Harry's shields with a variety of items.

Groaning as his shields began to give way, Harry felt his temper rise as he looked around trying to figure out a plan. It was then his eyes fell on the trembling cupboard in the corner of the DADD classroom, just inches from Draco. Thinking quickly he blasted the locked cupboard open, taking the hit of a few books against his chest.

The boggart inside barreled forward and the Slytherin turned in surprise only to be faced by a mirror image of himself. The boggart!Draco was blank faced, an eerie curve to his lips as he stepped forward. The two blondes faced eachother down for a speechless moment before the boggart pulled his sleeve up, revealing a black dark mark burned into the pale skin.

"No….No…" Draco stammered.

Remus was getting to his feet, "Draco, it's a boggart! Use the _Riddikulus_ charm!"

"My initiation was to kill something I hold dear." Boggart!Draco dully announced, "It was easy - easy to do as Father asked – easy to obey as his son. It was so very _easy_ to strangle her thin, pretty–"

"No! _Riddikulus_!" Draco yelled, voice shaking as he held his wand out. The charm hit the boggart but instead of morphing into something humorous it turned around in smoke a few times before reforming again. This time, it was the tall, imposing form of Lucius Malfoy. Harry blinked in shock, having not quite expected that.

Boggart!Lucius's chin was lifted high as he peered down his aristocratic nose at his son. Thin, elegant fingers curled about the head of his silver cane, lifting it with just the hint of a threat as he stepped toward Draco.

The boy stood shocked, the laugh that had been splashed across his face now completely faded into an expression of devastated shock. "…No…"

"You belong to me, Draco. Your father's son always."

"No…" Draco's face was pale and Harry was rooted to the floor in horror.

"Riddikulus, Draco! Cast Riddikulus!" Remus was walking up behind the blonde, trying to get him to respond. However, Harry knew that Draco wouldn't be able to do it, not as long as the boggart looked like his Father. The blonde's fingers twitched about his wand but did not move.

"Your loyalty ultimately belongs to your family. To your Father. Your destiny was set a long time ago-" Lucius's arm was raising but before anything could happen, Remus had stepped in between.

"_Riddikulus_!"

Lucius turned into the moon and with a wave of Remus' hand it was gone in a puff of smoke. Draco stood motionless, staring at where the image of his Father had been.

"I…I'm sorry." Harry began, guilt causing his heart to beat fast,"I didn't realise, I didn't think-"

"That's alright, Harry," His father was quick to soothe, "It's not your fault."

"Draco," Remus crouched in front of the boy and peered up into his face, "Are you alright? It was just a boggart, nothing more."

"I couldn't … I could never …. I….. I can't beat him …I _am_ just like him-" Draco's voice was as Harry had never heard it. The blonde sounded as if he was close to tears which was a thought unsettling to the brunette who was well used to the confidence and swagger of the other boy.

"**What?**" Sirius's voice was like thunder and everyone in the room turned to him in shock. "What did you just say?!"

Draco glanced over his shoulder with a flash of fright as Sirius strode toward him with intention.

"Sirius, just a moment-" Remus attempted to stop whatever was about to happen; it was too late, the taller man pushed him out of the way.

"Did you just say you're just like him? Are you a nutter? Draco, I knew your Father well and let me tell you that anyone who gave up his entire life to save the life of his rival is _nothing_ like him." Though Sirius was still quite gaunt and tired looking, he was blazing with strength. "You are a good person-"

"My whole family, you don't –"

"Don't know!? I come from the very same insanity as you! My parents would have killed me with their own hands if they could have. We are the same, you and I. And I can tell you truthfully that you are what you choose to be, Draco. And you've chosen to be good."

"But…. I'm _not_ good! I… I hurt my girlfriend and-"

"He stopped before he really hurt her!" Harry noted, "He really regrets it, he doesn't get how that means all the difference."

"You weren't there, okay!" Draco yelled at Harry, "You didn't see how… how I-"

"Draco, look at me," Sirius said calmly, forcing the boy to look into his kindly, handsome face, "I once almost sent Severus Snape to his death. I had so much anger in me because of what I had gone through at home; because of the dual misery and entitlement my parents had instilled with me, that when my temper peaked I didn't think. I almost turned Remus, your guardian, into a murderer. I almost _killed _Severus. I _was_ a terrible person in that moment but after that, I decided that I would _never_ be a terrible person again."

Draco's gray eyes had a glassy quality to them as he searched Sirius' pained face. The two purebloods were so different in looks and yet in the moment they mirrored one another with the same weights resting heavy on their shoulders.

"Your former family is dark, I know, but _we_ are your family now and we're here for you. You will never do that again under our watch, I can promise you that."

Remus nodded and approached from Draco's other side, placing a second comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I couldn't even face a boggart version of him, I couldn't even raise my wand!"

Sirius nodded, "That is completely understandable, Draco. There is so much more than him being just an opponent. Your goodness isn't paramount to you being able to beat Lucius. Besides, you _won't_ have to raise your wand to him-"

"-That'll be our job." Remus finished, "You just focus on realising what a wonderful boy you are, alright?"

A long moment passed as the Draco stared at the ground. His eyes were as pale as morning fog when he finally lifted his chin slightly. Looking straight at Sirius and Remus he nodded, "Thank you."

* * *

**T**he next day, Ornithomancy was the topic in Divination as it had been for the past three months. After weeks of sketching different birds and noting their meanings, their term project was near due and Trelawney allowed them the class to work up their findings.

"I don't know what to do," Neville sighed, "I've been sitting outside as much as possible but I haven't seen a single bird! How can I do analysis if I haven't seen anything?"

Ron laughed, scribbling some notes on his scroll, "Just make it up, Neville! Throw in a bluejay or something and give a note about how you're due for some doom and gloom."

Nearby, Parvati looked exasperated after having had to spend the better part of the hour helping the boys. "A bluejay is always good luck, Ron."

The redhead frowned and unrolled his scroll to see notes from earlier in the month, "No…it can be but if it's in the house it means someone will die-"

"That's a robin," Parvati shook her head and took a look at Harry's log, "And what the heck is _that_ you're drawing?"

Defensively, Harry covered his sketch with his hand, " A crane."

"Figures, the boy who lived would see a crane!" Seamus called from the row behind as he gathered his books, "Can we go please? I'm starting to see cuckoo birds, do y'know what that means, Parvati? Lavender? It means this subject's is driving me mad!"

As his classmates traipsed out of the room, Harry lingered to finish his sketch (by letting Parvati finish it off). Trelawney was busy blowing out candles, a stiff spicy scent trickling through the room.

"Bye Professor!" Parvati called as she slung her bag over her shoulder. The wispy witch didn't turn from her place and confused, Harry and Parvati shared a look. "Professor?"

Trelawney remained motionless and instead a rattling voice echoed from her, "As with…"

"What?" Parvati asked before Harry gripped her arm, a chill running down his spine. He knew that tone. Disengaged and far away, Trelawney began to speak in a loud whisper. It was a prophecy.

"_As with…. the first Pascha…..a traitor's betrayal will lead to death …. By creature's bite, man will fall….Weasley will die…._"

**To be Continued…**

1. Eeeheheheee. **Is the prophecy real**? I will tell you one thing, it has **nothing** to do with the Molly Weasley vs Fred Weasley debate of last chapter. SPEAKING of which, the numbers between those who would rather keep Fred alive vs Molly was **so close** so we will do a revote taking forsaken Dobby out of the picture. Who would **you rather kept alive: FRED or MOLLY?**

2. The dueling scene was one of those scenes that just flew out of my fingers. It was extremely fun to write and an inspired way to include a little of Draco's own journey. He really needs to shut up about his Father, _amirite_? I hope you enjoyed it!

3. I have considered giving out **the next chapter's name** at the end of each chapter, would that be a spoiler you would like to see from here on?

3. With Author's Notes accounted for, THIS is the chapter we hit **100,000 words** with! So, in another celebration: I will choose **one username** of those **who review** this chapter to work into the next!

Please **remember to review with comments/hellos/thoughts and/or cookies!**


	28. The Family Prongs

**Welcome**! Please check my profile to see my **TUMBLR** (Usako3000) filled with tidbits, images and insider information on this story.

The second vote of a death reprieval was obvious: You can rest easy, **Fred Weasley** fans. He'll survive this story! In celebration of over 100k words, a reviewer of the last chapter had their username (simple sensation) worked into this chapter. Thanks for taking the time to review and to our Anonymous readers (nlspeed & Guest)!

Chapter 27 was unfortunately updated during a glitch, so wasn't read by as many of you as usual – I'd love to still hear your thoughts on that chapter!

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Wish of Life**

** Chapter 28**

** The Family Prongs **

* * *

**A**s her words pierced the children's hearts, Trelawney drooped suddenly, knocking over two delicately designed teacups. "Oh my, what happened?" She mumbled to herself confusedly, turning to face them, "Did I nod off there?"

While Harry stood reeling from her prophecy, Parvati managed a calm head and approached the professor with some reservation, asking her to call the Headmaster.

Dumbledore was quick to arrive and as he walked into the classroom, Harry's neck grew hot. The older wizard maintained a distant presence as he listened to the two Gryffindors' story. Dumbledore showed no sign of familial love and while this wouldn't have disturbed Harry in his original timeline, he now felt particularly rejected. It reminded him of the fact that he hadn't known of their relation in his original timeline and his heart grew colder still toward his mentor.

Once they mentioned the prophecy, Trelawney gave a blissful squeal; ecstatic over her abilites and completely ignorant of how terrified Parvati and Harry were at the morbid notion it had spoken off. After some deliberation, the Headmaster had attempted to calm them by noting that many Weasleys existed in the world and that he would duly notify the family to be wary around animals of all sorts.

"-Now, I hope you shall not worry about this. OWLs are nigh and you musn't let yourself get distracted. You both did well to inform me and I will manage it from here."

Behind the headmaster, Trelawney was excitedly penning an OWL to her mother.

"I guess," Parvati returned uncomfortably, "Alright."

As the two turned to leave the classroom, Dumbledore reached out and grasped Harry's shoulder. Startled, Harry shrugged it off as the headmaster called his name. Although a part of him felt guilt for pushing into the man's memories and longed for Dumbledore to forgive him, a current of anger flashed through him, reminding him that it hadn't been his fault and the headmaster had essentially cold-shouldered him for two weeks. Pride in the way, Harry ignored his Great-Grandfather with nary a glance back at him and instead followed Parvati to Care of Magical Creatures

* * *

**H**arry had deliberated all day over how to tell Ron about the prophecy. In the end, Parvati had let the cat out of the bag by bursting into tears in the common room after George had ruffled her hair in greeting.

If they were scared, the Weasley's didn't show it. After listening to Parvati and Harry's story, George had laughingly comforted the tearful witch while Ron put a quick stop to Hermione's insistent cry to immediately beging researching prophecies.

"Dumbledore's right," Ron said around the piece of licorice he was chewing on, "There's like … a billion Weasleys. Dad has two brothers with lots of kids and that's not even mentioning all our second and third cousins."

"Honestly, our family tree needs a little paring," Fred joked, pulling faces in an attempt to make Parvati stop sobbing. "It's probably Cousin Randolph - he has that wonky eye and lives with gorillas in Africa - just a matter of time till one decides to off him."

"I don't know…" Hermione interjected, looking rather teary-eyed herself, "It-"

"Hermione!" Ron groaned, "You don't even _believe_ in Divination, remember? Now, stop it. You'll be stuck with all of us for a long time –"

The girl looked mildly appeased.

"-If that bludger on legs you're dating lets you have a life other than staring at his ugly face all day-"

"RON!"

While his friends squabbled, Harry tried to quell his churning stomach. Although he had been told time and time again that prophecies weren't an exact science and that loopholes existed, a feeling of low grade dread had been seeping into his blood, growing ever greater.

* * *

**T**he next day, Harry's training was in the form of a field trip to Spinner's End. The Potter family left after dinner, walking the grounds of Hogwarts until they reached the edge of the wards. There, James and Lily took one son each and apparated to just outside the wards over Spinner's End.

"What are we doing here?" Ethan asked, kicking every pebble that he came across.

"Uncle Severus had a report that there's been a dementor hanging around this area," James explained, eyes trained at the sky, "and your Mother and I thought it would be a good hands-on training experience."

"Ooh! A patronus charm!" Harry's younger brother looked much more excited now that he knew they weren't simply coming to Snape's house to breathe dust and kill spiders.

"You know how to cast a patronus?" Harry asked curiously.

"We spent the night yesterday teaching him." Lily commented, "I know you haven't had a chance to practice yourself, but Tonks said she had covered the theory while we were off, anyway, you can both give it a try."

Already fully proficient at a patronus, Harry felt smugly proud that he would be able to impress his parents.

As they walked through the wards overlying Spinner's End, Lily eyed their surroundings with nostalgia. "Gosh, this takes me back. I haven't been here in ages – Sev rarely lets us visit."

"Probably because he rarely cleans," James snorted, nearly tripping over a rather overgrown weed.

"Those wards are a pain," Ethan noted, "Why are they so broad?"

Their father scanned the skies, "To prevent Death Eaters from getting into the area. Your Uncle Sev put those up – don't complain over the walk, it'll let you cast magic outside of school; you should be thankful."

"But a dementor got in?" Harry asked.

"Different warding systems." James spoke in a brusque, leader like tone that told Harry that his father was fully in auror mode. "Okay, let's stay close but separate into teams."

Harry's mother drew her own wand, shooting James a flirtasious smile, "First one to get rid of it wins?"

His eyes lit, "What are the terms?"

"Slave for a day?"

"You're on, Evans and I have some _great_ ideas for you-"

"_GROSSSSSSSSSSS_!" Ethan and Harry chorused together, each bodily pushing their parents apart.

* * *

**L**ily and Harry walked the east side of the black riverbank, James and Ethan; the west. Both parents detailed the science behind the Patronus charm and Harry did his best to seem interested though it was all old news to him. A cold wind swished past them and a mangy fox crept out of the river, eyes glowing for a moment before it scampered away.

"There's not many people around here, are there?" Harry remarked dryly. His time spent at Spinner's End over the holidays had been at solely at the house. Now, seeing the village, a ghost town almost, he wondered why Snape bothered to stay here at all.

"No, it's very abandoned. There are a lot of muggle towns like this, actually. The whole place was built solely around the cotton mill and by the time I was little it was already in massive decline. Some people hung on thinking the post-war resurgence would last but it didn't. With new technologies everyone went elsewhere." Lily gave her a son a smile, "I think that's what I've always liked about the magical world. Although there is a lot of evolution, the routes of magic are unchanging and universal. It's a lot more eternal than in the muggle world where everything becomes obsolete in time."

"I guess that's true," Harry agreed, thinking of how Dudley would always be wanting the latest edition of every video-game console though the last one had just come out the year prior. "It's like in the muggle world everyone is always rushing around trying to do business and figure out the newest thing … wanting to become the best, it's never enough. Er… at least that's what Hermione tells me."

"Exactly right, but in the wizarding world the pace is slower. Magic is what it always was and there's something so very permanent about that. I never looked back, honestly." Lily and Harry shared a smile when the moment was sharply broken by James' yell.

His father and brother had taken the time to explore the mill and from the entrance they came jogging out in a hurry. "It's following us! Get ready!"

An unnatural cold began to prick at Harry's skin and from behind the imposing outline of the Cotton Mill's chimney came the dementor, gliding effortlessly in the air.

He took a look at its scabbed hands and a fear gripped at his heart, a memory of his mother's scream beginning to echo in his ears before his father's shout brought him back into reality.

"Happy thoughts! Now!"

All four stood their ground and cast the Patronus charm at the same time. Harry pulled forth the memory of arriving in this timeline and finding his parents alive. Effortlessly his patronus formed at his wandtip but to his surprise instead of a majestic stag came a leaping fawn.

Though tiny, the fawn was no less strong this original stag and after a burst of blue-white radiance the dementor was gone and warmth crept back into his extremities.

"Fantastic! Both of you!" James cheered, "Ethan, what a showing! And, Harry; on your first try!"

"Look at them, James!" Lily called to her husband across the river, "Look at the patronuses!"

All four turned and there on the grass before them stood their corporeal patronuses. An imposing Stag trotted toward an elegant doe that was reaching down to nudge one of the two fawns at her knees.

All four fell silent in awe as the adult deer nuzzled one another in greeting while a fawn tugged the other's tail.

"A family," Lily smiled.

"Our family," Harry said in awe.

From across the river, his father's eyes were warm as he looked upon them all. James lifted his wand and created a temporary bridge across the water with rocks that leapt to the surface with a large squelch. Ethan hopped over first, grinning from ear to ear as James slung his arms around the three of them.

It was a simple sensation that rooted in Harry's heart: Happiness.

Lily bumped James with her hip, an affectionate love in her green eyes, "The Family Prongs."

* * *

**T**wo days later, Harry's heart was still full. Here, even his magic had family of its own! Seeing the four patronuses together had strengthened his faith in the support of his family. Darkness would never be of any consequence in the face of love.

It was also a good feeling to see Lily back in the classroom, having taken back the helm of Defense Against the Dark Arts. James, though partially residing in Hogwarts due to the horcrux hunt, was not officially taking on classes again. Instead, both he and Tonks were back full time on the auror force.

Harry and the Gryffindors had cheered when Lily had swept into class, but it was only after Potions that he learned not every student shared the same sentiments.

"Ridiculous. A housewitch as the DADD professor? Dumbledore is just setting up you-know-who to win-" Crabbe gave a thick laugh, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "It was silly enough to have her there when Potter was teaching, but now, taking the class alone? This school has gone to the dogs-"

"What's that you're laughing about, Crabbe?" Harry snapped loudly, striding out into the hallway, "Because I know you aren't dumb enough to be talking about _my_ mother."

Both Ron and Neville were at his side, while Parvati, Hermione and Seamus who had been a little ahead turned at the sudden commotion.

Crabbe's fat face jiggled from side to side as he turned to face Harry, eyes lit with a type of beady excitement. Harry was struck with what a likeness the boy shared with a toad. "Dumb? Well, yea, Potter, that's exactly the word in relation to your mum, but not meaning me. She might be alright to teach some cooking or cleaning spells but let's face it, what does she know about DADD?"

"Crabbe, lay off." Draco drawled, leaning against the doorframe to the classroom they had just been in. "She fought in the first war."

"Yeah? For what, two minutes?"

"About as long as your Dad did before he was arrested, huh?" Harry returned while appraising the people Crabbe had flanking him. Goyle, Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass stood firm behind the round boy.

Crabbe reddened and his fist curled noticeably around his wand.

"He's out now, right? Hiding away like some cockroach? Kissing Voldemort's shoes? You must be real proud."

Blaise raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "He's got you there, Crabbe."

"Shut up!" Crabbe bellowed, rounding on his classmate and shoving Zabini hard, "Better than having a slag for a mother like you!"

Blaise staggered back, his lips thinning in anger. The boy had such a feline slant to his face that in his rage he looked as if he could reach up and claw the other Slytherin's face. Yet for some reason, though he was taller and obviously more fit, he only turned on his heel and marched away, a muscle in his cheek jumping.

"You see, Potty? People know not to mess with _me_," Crabbe began smugly, "So I'd suggest you go on your merry way. You don't know who you're dealing with."

Seamus gave a laugh, "Crabbe, he's the bloody Boy-who-lived, if You-know-who doesn't scare him, a fat lump like you certainly doesn't."

The friends surrounding him all emphatically agreed.

"Talking big there, Irish." Goyle snorted.

"Hey hey," Crabbe returned, "I'm just trying to help you out, you know. It's not really going to be a fair fight with a housewitch's idea of DADD in your heads."

"Oh yeah? Are you implying you'll be fighting on a different side?" Parvati asked aggressively, her pretty face tense with anger.

Hermione was quick to pick up on her implication, "-Because saying you're on the other side is a serious legal offense."

"Wouldn't do so well in Azkaban, would you, Crabbe? No cupcakes there."

"Granger, what would you know about magical law? Acting so big, just like Potter's mum – when all you both are is pathetic little people living on limited time. Filthy mudbloods."

"HEY!" Wands were outstretched on both sides but Harry's anger billowed from within.

"Watch your mouth you filthy toerag!" He felt his magic surge and gripping it he let it stream outward. The blast slammed into Crabbe, sending him careening back into Goyle.

The girls gasped at the display while someone, likely Seamus, whistled in approval. Goyle shook off the blow and glanced at Crabbe who frozen in place on the floor, body bound wordlessly. There was a blistering gleam in the eye of the taller Slytherin as he wiped at his mouth, "Alright then, let's do this."

Harry anticipated the attack and as Goyle shot a slashing hex at him, he ducked. Behind him, Draco pushed Parvati out of the way, taking the hex on the shoulder. Blood splattered as Draco gave a grimace and Parvati screamed in shock.

"_Stupefy_!" Harry's spell was deflected by Goyle but before another word could be uttered a body bind spell gripped them both.

Snape stood in the doorway of his classroom, surveying the scene with nothing short of fury. "What the devil is going on here?!"

The Gryffindors and Slytherins each embarked in accusatory phrases while Snape zeroed in on Goyle, ripping the freeze spell off him but not yet Harry who could hear everything but could neither move or speak.

"Tell me, Goyle, why is Malfoy currently bleeding? One Slytherin must never attack another. Have you forgotten so easily?"

"No Sir!" Goyle replied hastily, "Potter hit Crabbe with some type of wandless magic and then … I wasn't even aiming at Draco – he wouldn't have gotten hit if he hadn't pushed Parvati out of the way!"

"I see. I appreciate the confession that you have kindly provided me."

Goyle gaped wordlessly.

"And I must inform you that first blow or not, any spell that can cause grievous bodily damage may not be used on a fellow student. I'm afraid that you have cost our house at least fifty-"

"Not to mention that Crabbe was calling Harry's mum a mudblood and Goyle was supporting him!" Ron tattled, freckled nose scrunched. "That's the only reason Harry's magic went off!"

For a moment Harry thought he could almost see the veins in his uncle's face all rise to the surface. "200 points from Slytherin. Each. Seeing as how you have yet to learn the inappropriateness of a filthy word, I think that a public mouth-soaping every evening this week should suffice. Malfoy, will you be alright to attend the hospital wing on your own? Good. I want to see the rest of you Slytherins in the common room. NOW." Snape released the spell on Harry and countered the one on Crabbe before striding down the hallway.

Goyle's face was twisted as he looked upon Ron who was grinning.

"Might do something for your terrible breath." The redhead shrugged.

There was pure hatred in the Slytherin's long face. "You're dead, Weasley," He sneered darkly, "You hear me? DEAD!"

"NOW!" Snape bellowed from down the hallway and his scared students were quick to scamper off behind him.

Harry turned to face his friends, "Thanks guys. You were all so brilliant, I owe you one."

"What a git!" Neville exclaimed, "Your mum is the best, what was he going on about?"

"Just because a woman chooses to be a housewitch or mother first doesn't mean she's any less powerful or intelligent!" Hermione scowled, "What an awful thing to say."

Ron nodded, "No less awful than what he called you both. I'm sorry you had to hear that, Hermione. He clearly has everything messed up in his head, you and Mrs. Potter could both magic circles around him. He's a real misogynist!"

Hermione looked impressed at Ron's vocabulary and seemed quite eager to listen to him rant. Meanwhile, Neville and Harry both turned to see how Draco was before realising they had intruded on a private moment between the former couple.

Parvati had her outer robes bundled in her hands, pressing them onto the blonde's wound. While she looked worried, Draco looked rather lightheaded from either the blood loss or being so close to the witch he loved.

"Does it hurt much?" Her doe-eyes raised and met his and a look of such longing passed between them that Neville turned away in embarrassment.

"It's fine. I'm just…I'm just glad you're alright." Draco smiled handsomely and Harry rolled his eyes to himself.

"Thank you, Draco," She said quietly, "It was really brave what you did and I appreciate it … so much."

"I –" The blonde's eyes seemed hungry for the young witch, but though it looked like he wanted to say something else, he simply stood, "I…should get myself to the infirmary."

"I'll come with you!"

"No! I mean, no. You should go eat, it's late."

Parvati looked as if she was about to cry in protest when Hermione swooped in beside her, linking their arms. The bushy-haired girl was well aware of Draco's dedication to his counseling and anger management and seemed to have picked up that he wasn't quite ready to make any sort of approach yet. "Parvati, we should go – only the boys would be allowed to stay with Draco while he gets checked over. Besides, someone needs to go tell Professor Lupin and Potter what's happened!"

As Hermione pulled the other girl away, the boys did as she had recommended and flanked Draco on his way toward the hospital wing.

"Oi, Mate," Seamus commented, "Why'd you turn Parvati away like that? Taking a slashing hex for her - that would've definitely earned you a drop o' hand-"

Draco rounded on the irishman, "Don't talk about her like that." His tone was so simmering that Seamus backed up quickly, eyes wide.

"Alright, alright! Don't lose your head! I was just joking - we're mates - she and I!"

"She did look hurt though, Draco."

"I know, Neville, but … well … it's a lot of things really. I mean, other than our own issues after we split." Draco caught Harry's eye, "What do I really have to offer her? She's a pureblood, from a wealthy family … I have nothing to give her. Father's likely burned me from the family tree by now; no money, barely a name …I'm trying to make sure that I'm the wizard she deserves but I'm starting to think that she's high above me now."

"Yeah, that's hard," Ron agreed, "Witches sometimes…they're really perfect, yeah? But I think you need to ask yourself who exactly you're trying to prove you're worthy to? Her or you? Because if it's you then you'll _never_ feel like you are because you admire her so much that _nothing _will ever be good enough for her in your eyes. You're a good bloke and you just need to work up the courage to ask for a chance or before you know it she'll have found someone else and it'll be just too late."

The other four boys all shared a look at Ron's sudden inspired speech.

"Ron, I don't know if this is the blood loss talking but you make a lot of sense."

"Well, thanks-"

"Is that what you've been going through, too?"

"- Huh? What d'you mean? I don't even have a girlfriend?"

"Annnndddd the moment of clarity ends."

The boys laughed as Ron stared at them, puzzled.

* * *

**T**he next night held another visit to Spinner's End with Harry's parents. The dementor had apparently been sighted again and although Ethan was studying for a Potions test, Harry and his mother had decided to accompany James.

As they searching the same eerie neighbourhood, Harry relayed the story of the day to his parents, "And Draco said that Uncle Sevi really did make Crabbe and Goyle stand in the corner room for the entire evening with soap in their mouths! Apparently he uses that as a punishment if a Slytherin talks back. Ron said Mrs. Weasley would use Scourgify on them but apparently Uncle Sevi _hates_ the spell –"

Lily and James shared a glance and James stretched uncomfortably.

"-and thinks the muggle way is way more humiliating and awful tasting."

"It must be hard for Sev," Lily commented thoughtfully, "having all those children lost in the darkness; trying to save them but likely never being able to reach them."

"He does his best. Why just a year ago he flunked Pucey so the boy had to retake the year. He was number one on the Ministry list to watch; dead set on joining up. When he failed, a lot of his Slytherin mates rejected him and now he's working in American, far away from all of this."

"Wow, I didn't know that!" Harry felt greatly impressed by his Uncle.

It was just then a movement above a cluster of trees caught their eye. The family moved carefully toward the region, finding a small forested area. Pushing past branches in the dark they were just examining the sky when the dementor appeared above them. A cold chill took Harry's skin.

"Alright, Harry, why don't you give it a-" James began before studdenly the cold became overwhelming, clutching and clinging to them from all around, "- oh shit."

Suddenly there wasn't just one dementor in the air above; there were hundreds. The chorus of rattling, tortured breaths echoed in the air while utter despair attached to Harry's soul.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" The Potters all shouted and while the stag, fawn and doe galloped forward and repelled the first wave, another approached and another and another….

_"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum_!"

The sky was black with dementors.

"James!" Lily cried out, putting out a protective hand in front of Harry's chest as they backed away from the approaching wall of dementors. "Harry is fading! There are too many … I can barely breathe …"

Their patronuses were swallowed whole, barely make a dent in the numbers of dementors. Sensitive to the creatures, Harry's entire body twitched as he tried desperately to hang on to any sliver of good thoughts or happiness.

"_Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"_

He fought through the thick fog of depression and despair, a stumbling fawn bursting from his wand once more to join James's stag and Lily's doe.

"Mum—"

"Lily, take Harry and_ go_!"

Harry felt bile creep up into his throat and he struggled to pass the memory by when it became very clear that it was _not_ a memory.

There stood his Father, in a fighting stance like a knight wielding a sword. The affects of the dementors must have been ripping every sense of will to live from him, but he stood strong, defending his family. He looked like a hero. Lily was pushing Harry bodily behind her in a reluctant retreat. They were already a good fifteen feet from James and Harry knew with terrifying clarity what was about to happen.

Afterall, he had lived this before.

His Father planned to sacrifice himself to allow his mother and him time to escape.

"There are too many! You know what you have to do!" James glanced over his shoulder, eyes wild and face determined as he spoke his last words in a timeline gone by, "Go! Run! I'll hold them off!"

**To be Continued….**

***evil cackle*** Will **James survive**? Will the Weasley Prophecy come to fruition? And **who is that traitor** it mumbled about? Also, can anyone buy Dumbledore some sunscreen to put on that **burn** he received?

I won't hand out spoilers exactly, but I will say … that one of our heroes will lose access to their father figure in the next chapter. Who, how and why is up to speculation!

Also, I am contemplating posting the **next chapter's title** in these end notes from here on it, is that something you guys would like to see?

Thank you guys for **1600 reviews** – I'll do a celebratory woo hoo! and **pick one username from those who review this chapter** to work into the next! Please **take the time to leave me your thoughts or hellos**!


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